Dark Destinies
by FallingNight01
Summary: Why was he alive? Yugi had won the ceremonial duel. He was supposed to be... dead. He wasn't. Instead, he had been dragged into this shadow game where the life of Yugi was hanging by a thread.If only Yugi and Atem's bond wasn't so weak...
1. Chapter 1

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 1- a Yami No Game brews**

Summary:

He was supposed to be dead, but he wasn't. Instead, he was involved in a Yami No Game (shadow game) with an enemy of the darkness he knew was only one thing he did know however. An only thing that kept him above all this insanity. Yugi was in danger. His life was in the edge and Atem's game abilities were their only chance. To win, he would have to use what he had fought against throughout his existence... the shadows.

Please enjoy! and as you guys that have uploaded stories before, you know how bad reviews are needed, so you know what to do. I will be answering any questions that you have too.

this is what you could call a prologue (if you want more info on how the story will proceed, read my profile and you'll find some sneak peaks)

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi...

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><p>His breath came out in short gasps. He felt the fear of drowning in the thickness of the dark, yet he pushed himself aloof insanity.<p>

What had happened? He closed his useless eyes, not knowing how long he had been drifting aimlessly. It could have been hours, days, maybe even millennia since he had been here. It wasn't that different from being a prisoner of the millennium puzzle. Time just loses its importance in this type of place. It is nothing and yet it's eternity. He was an expert in the concept, or at least he knew the feelings it could produce. Loss, sorrow, it all came together.

The main problem was though, that he was supposed to be… dead. He felt a pang of loss swept through his body at the one word, but was he not supposed to be happy? The happy ending? The place where everything was sweet and painless?

He sought deep in his soul, but there was nothing more than unexplained sorrow. Was he not allowed to be happy even in the afterlife? No, scratch that, he let his gaze wonder around him… but it was futile, the darkness was too deep. Where in the name of Osiris was he? This was definitely not the afterlife unless… nope, this just wasn't. It couldn't be. But he had lost to Yugi, and he was supposed to have crossed over. Yugi! What had happened to him! Was he...

He sighed inwardly, calming down his sudden racing worries. Slowly, he brought them back into his grasp, but they were nothing more than thorns that threw his mind into chaos.

_It seems that your thoughts are in disarray ancient young warrior…_

Refusing to show so much as shock at the intrusive thought, Atem tensed, ready for anything. He wasn't used to hearing anyone but his hikari's voice inside his mind. He sighed. Yugi wasn't his hikari. He could hear a snarl-like laugh in his head now, like that of an animal that knows its prey can't escape. A growl became audible in the young man's throat, he was not prey. The laugher only became louder.

"Who are you!" the young man screamed, finding his voice dismantled as it traveled through the shadows, "Show yourself!"

No answer.

The young man gritted his teeth and felt the darkness respond to his rising anger. He started, confused. That had only happened when he had been given the millennium puzzle a long time ago. His father had been worried above explanation that the shadows would respond to the young man's feelings at such a young age, he had said to him that it meant that evil was within him, his son, the heir to the throne.

Darkness was indeed a part of him… greater than he wanted to admit. He had let it overwhelm him several times. He find himself trembling slightly. Eyes widening in realization, the young man set his jaw.

_Indeed ancient young warrior… this is the shadow realm… _

The young man could feel the intruder smirk in his mind.

_I would have expected you to figure that out since your acquaintance with the dark is very close… unless I confused you with another ancient young one which I believe rather unlikely… _

Of course, a voice with humor. The young man opened his mouth to talk and closed it again.

_You answer to the name Atem, do you not?_

Atem smirked at the mention of his name, so this voice knew him. Maybe he would be able to get some information out of him of why he was where he was.

_I do wonder however, what brings you here… I was told that you were to cross to the afterlife, I did thought that after all that had happened, the world would tire of you…_

Atem blinked at the question, confusion clear on his face. So this voice didn't know why he was not… why he was not.-

_Dead? _The Voice finished the thought and chuckled inhumanly, _I do not know, though my guess is that I was destined to find your poor self and take my chance…_

'Chance?' Atem could only wonder.

"Must that mean you just happened to find me? Here in the.-"

_Shadow realm… yes, it could be said like such. It seems like someone decided you were still not destined to die completely. Though personally, I find you useless as in right now…_

Atem glowered at the last statement, though he couldn't say anything in his favor since it was true. Yugi would have had something to say back to that kind of thing.

_Ah! Yes! The boy you grew fond of… Yugi Mutou…_

"What?" Atem had no idea what was going on, but he knew that he was beginning to hate The Voice for intruding his mind. And to speak Yugi's name like that! The Voice seemed to have poured poison on the words, "Where is he! Where is Yugi!"

_He should be fine… I think… at least for now…_

"At least for now," that was not good.

"Do not dare touch him," Atem said, "I warn you, do not."

_But you are not part of the Kid's world anymore ancient young warrior…_

_You have not been part of any world since a long time ago and you know it. How would you be able to help Yugi? You would only hurt him… again and again…_

Atem suppressed a gasp. The voice was right yet again, he had never truly belonged with Yugi and the gang… Hell! He had been a burden to them all. They had traveled everywhere for him and, in the process, they had put their lives at risk for his sake, but to belong nowhere?

_You are a shadow Atem, you are only a memory of who you once were… _

The words stroke home like daggers to the heart, and Atem flinched slightly. He didn't want to admit it, it couldn't be true… he couldn't just be a memory. He couldn't just be nothing. He couldn't… he was Atem, pharaoh of Egypt, Yami to Yugi. He had a name. But then why was he feeling so empty inside?

"Why am I not in the afterlife?" Atem muttered and let himself go numb, feeling the shadows engulfing him. He knew it was wrong, as the shadows were evil. The thought made him chuckle, he had used shadows since he could remember, yet he had fought them alongside Yugi, defeated them, and yet here he was, surrendering to the comfort of sorrow the shadows themselves had to offer him.

It was so foolish, to let the shadows control his feelings. He should have been threshing and snarling at this intruder just to know what he was planning, but his sorrow was too great.

He was both a prisoner and a master of the shadows. It had been foolish to think Yugi could help him at all, but he had tried, and Atem owed him big time. He couldn't let anything befall the boy.

"Don't you dare touch Yugi!" he yelled, feeling a bit more confident. Yugi was his light. No one would extinguish it with him on guard. "If you do hurt him I, I…"

_You what? You don't have a body of your own. You cannot even warn him from here…_

Atem gritted his teeth, those were only details. They could be fixed.

_Ancient young warrior… I believe it is time for you to awaken once more… I see you will to fight still burns strong. It shall amuse me…_

"You forget who I am," Atem said, "Why must I return to the realm where you yourself said I do not belong?" The words clung to his own ears and he wanted to take them back. It was wrong to say he did not belong with Yugi and the rest.

_Indeed, I must guess an explanation, rather than the happiness of being out of here, is of outmost importance to you…_

Atem said nothing, who did the intruder thought he was? A foolish boy driven by insanity? They were more plentiful than he had thought.

The owner of the voice came closer to Atem. He could feel t. It seemed to whisper in his ear,_ It's been some time, and I am growing weary of lying low in the human world you see…_ It laughed, I_ have decided you will provide me with some entertainment. Let us see who of us is stronger._

"Why would I play your game when I have nothing to win or lose?" Atem said, fearing what he already knew.

_You shall play… for what you could lose would make your soul tremble…_ It smirked,_ Yugi Mutou…_

The former pharaoh snarled, he just HAD to ask.

Laughter.

_I guess we have a deal… Yugi shall be the prize…_

"Wait! No!" Atem screamed. This couldn't be. His thoughts tumbled within themselves. He couldn't put Yugi into danger yet again. And the shadows were not helping him clear his mind from unwanted feelings.

_With no further waiting, I shall give the main rules…_

Atem didn't like that. The one stating the rules always has the advantage. Was there any way he could get out of this?

_No there is no way, unless of course you do not care what happens to the soul of the King of Games?_

"Don't get Yugi into this!" Atem said. He didn't want to cause Yugi more pain.

_I shall give you five earthly days beforehand to accommodate yourself. In this time, I will not make a move against you or Yugi. Pretty much everything goes apart from some things…_

"Of course…" Atem said, his mind giving up all too easy in trying to get out of it. Instead, he sharpened his mind to the rules.

_You may only die three times… each time you die, there will be two days before you can return… Leaving Domino City will be against the rules. Just as setting foot inside Yugi's home will be prohibited… _The voice seemed to be making the rules on the spot. _Any other questions?_

Atem found himself thinking the rules through, imprinting them to memory, already pointing out gaps that he could use in his favor. Though he restrained himself from thinking them through, he didn't want the intruder to hear his thoughts any further. He thought of the last two rules and frowned. Giving him restricted area to maneuver was something a coward would do, as if the intruder was scared of Atem hiding. It was actually so stupid it was intelligent.

"How many times will you be able to die?"

_Once dead, the game will end…_

There was a trick there, Atem thought, but instead decided to go along with it.

"Therefore, if I kill you, I shall win." The creature smirked inside Atem's mind, there was definitely a trap there.

"Can you leave Domino City?"

_Indeed…_

Atem nodded mentally, he believed he already knew what the creature's tactic would be. "What about bodies? I do not own a physical body."

_Is it that you do not know when to shut the questions? _Atem couldn't help but growl at that. It was imperative that he knew as much as he could.

_I shall see to that… do not question me further…_

Atem smiled for the first time in what seemed like forever. He loved when his enemies gave him answers without knowing. He now knew he couldn't fully trust the rules. He knew that as the game proceeded, the rules were subject to change. That had been the unsaid rule, rules were just going to keep coming as the game proceeded.

Adrenaline rushed through the former pharaoh's veins. He could feel It. The shadows were exalted at the promise of a Yami no Game between Atem and his new rival. They knew both their contestants would use them. There would be pain.

'Yugi,' Atem thought. He couldn't let any harm befall his friend.

"Very well then," Atem said, "Let the shadow game begin!"

* * *

><p>"Yugi!" A scream threshed through the stadium. Louder than all other cheering and screaming. Yugi looked around startled, the voice was pained. As if it was dreading something. It was not a normal voice cheering his name or.-<p>

Yugi blushed and raised his face to the packed stadium. He could never get used to the idea of so many people watching him, cheering him on. Neither the screens that reflected his every move to who knows how many people out of the stadium. It was supposedly worldwide.

"Yugi!" the same distinctive voice called again, this time more urgent. Yugi bit his tongue, he recognized that voice. But he was just imagining things, he would never see him again. He sighed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, The King of Games!" Mokuba yelled, making Yugi jump. Kaiba's brother came tumbling up the arena to stand besides Yugi, smiling widely as Yugi's lip stretched absently into a cheap copy for a smile. The voice calling him had seemed to stop, but Yugi couldn't keep his mind off it. He could be almost be certain the voice wasn't anyone from the crowd, it was inside his own mind.

"So now, Yugi!" Mokuba said in the microphone and the audience broke into an excited cheering. Mokuba waited until they had calmed before continuing.

"Will you accept the invitation to the World Cup in Austria and kick some butt?"

The audience cheered all the harder.

Yugi smiled at them. He looked toward the front, spotting his friends immediately. All of them were nodding so hard that Yugi couldn't help but laugh out loud, his half-child-man's laugh echoed through the stadium. He instantly cut it off, but his smile didn't left.

"Is that a yes Yugi Mutou?" Mokuba said laughing. He placed the mic under Yugi's nose and before Yugi could think of anything else, he grabbed the mic and silently thanking Atem for everything he had done, said firmly to the audience,

"I will!"

Cheering exploded and in a matter of seconds and just as fast, his friends were surrounding him. Joey hugging him so tight that he was sure his eye balls were not where they should be. He squealed at the idea.

"Stop it Joey! You are gonna kill Yugi!" Tea said, "then you'll have to deal with the fangirls!"

Joey let go immediately, probably remembering the last time.

"I'm just so happy!"

Yugi sighed contently, though the happiness he had been feeling dimmed away greatly. He gazed at everyone, their voices being zoomed out as he quickly entered his mind, but where there have been two doors, there was only one. He sobbed quietly and as the gang noticed, they quickly helped him off the stage and into the duelists' area.

Once out of unwanted eyes, Yugi's tears began to stream down his face, he couldn't help it. The voice he had heard was Yami's. He couldn't believe his mind was playing tricks with him again, Atem was gone. Gone…

No! He had to stop. Atem would not be happy if he knew Yugi was crying over him! He had to be more like Atem, he had to be brave. He had to remember why Atem had left.

The gang tried to console him, Tea breaking into tears as she tried to tell him that everything was going to be fine. They all knew why Atem had to leave, they were supposed to have been ready. It had been a whole year and Yugi just couldn't cope with it sometimes.

Outside, he could hear thunder raging over Domino City. A storm was brewing.

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><p>Thanks for reading!<p>

I will be glad if you tell me what you think of the story so please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Dark Destinies  
><strong>**Chapter 2- Alive**

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It is property of Takahashi Kazuki

Thanks for all the reviews! Enjoy!

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><p>The cold rain beat down on his bare skin, though he found himself unable to react to the cold touch.<p>

It wasn't as dark as it had been moments before, though there wasn't much light either. He could feel the pain, physical pain. That and the fact that his weightless self was pinned firmly to the ground gave him the distinctive hint of not being in the shadow realm any longer.

Atem sighed. He didn't kno.-

Hold on! Atem sighed again, and then inhaled sharply, holding the air in his lungs until they seemed to burst. Finally, he let the air out slowly, up to the point when the feeling of emptiness consumed him. He repeated the whole thing over and over again.

He could breathe… it was not only a remembrance of how to inhale and exhale, but legit breathing! With air! He smiled, feeling his lips stretch, feeling his lips cracking and sending chills through his body. He felt the rain and the filthy floor underneath his cheek. It had been so long, so very long…

The raindrops fell into his half opened eyes, racing each other towards the floor. It seemed as if the gods were lending him tears.

He was alive… alive in every sense of the word. He savored the syllables that formed in his lips as he pronounced them. He couldn't believe it. He wasn't supposed to be, yet he was.

A thought nagged at him at the back of his mind and Atem sent it away, but it just came back. How had The Voice done this? It had given him a body to fight, why was that Voice so absorbed in dueling Atem? In hurting Yugi?

Sighing, Atem shook the thought away. It didn't matter, not now. What was of outmost importance was finding Yugi. Atem chuckled, scowling himself for being so selfish just moments before. To think he could rest for a while, to rejoice in being alive.

"Five days huh?" Atem asked to himself, feeling his unused vocal chords vibrating. It felt good, unreal. Five days were not enough.

The happiness he had felt was beginning to wither; only five days… he urged his body to stand. It was futile. His muscles were burning with fatigue and he had to gulp down the urge to scream in annoyance. He couldn't remember being so tired in his life, it was just too much.

Feeling his eyes flutter close after a couple of tries to get out of the rain, he yawned heavily and tried to maintain consciousness. But his body simply wouldn't obey. The only thing he could hear was the rain that hit the concrete with all of its might that carried a rhythmical pounding. And even though it ailed against his skin and had already damped him to the bone, he could not keep from drifting off.

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><p>"Kuriboh stop," Atem mumbled as Kuriboh pressed against his side, "Let me sleep."<p>

He could still feel the rain pouring down on him. He should be moving to find some shelter, but if only he could sleep a bit longer.

Kuriboh didn't seem to like the idea. He nudged the former pharaoh painfully in the thighs, making him groan in annoyance. Yet, the furry ball ignored the warnings of his master and kept doing it.

Angered at the duel monster, Atem turned to scowl the poor thing, only to find himself being snarled at by the sky above. He felt himself jumping straight out of sleepiness and unto his feet. What the.-?

Kuriboh, who had in less than a second hid under the pharaoh's leg, was cracking up, pointing at his panicked master.

"If you dare tell a soul, you shall pay."

Kuriboh didn't need to be told twice, he nodded his head wildly with genuine worry in his eyes.

Atem sighed as a light from above illuminated the alley he had ended up in. The shadows of the three walls that constituted it seemed to reach for him, as if curious upon who he might be. Another roar followed. Atem remembered them now, thunder. Yugi had tried to calmly explain it to him during the first storm he had ever encountered as a spirit. It was an overstatement if he said he hated them. It sounded as if the world was ending, and why not? In his time, when Seth* ordered a storm to hit Egypt, there was always death.

Quickly, praying to Seth and hoping Horus* wouldn't mind, he headed straight for the street, or not so straight since he could barely keep his gaze focused.

The street was deserted, save a stray car passing by. That was good, because, glimpsing at himself, he found his body lacking something very important. Perfect… Atem cursed under his breath, but decided not to give it much heed. He couldn't really do anything about it right now, could he?

"Yugi Mutou!" a woman's voice carried to his ears through the thick raindrops. Atem turned to the source of the voice, feeling his cheeks burn at the sight of a middle aged woman standing just outside a limo with an umbrella. She was staring wide eyed at him. Atem could tell she was making a very big effort not to let her gaze fall from Atem's bare chest. This was just perfect.

"Yes!" she yelled into a cell phone she had had glued to her ear, "Ab…Absolutely, I will!"

She hanged up and her eyes wondered a bit before she could compose herself, "shit, shit, shit…"

"Please Mr. Mutou, come with me. I…" her voice trailed off as her gaze lowered again. Atem was tempted to cover himself, but didn't. Instead, he chuckled at her reaction, or maybe at the irony that he was being confused with Yugi. Maybe even at his burning hatred for his new found enemy who had conveniently given him a body that lacked clothing.

"Would you please.-" She tossed him her umbrella, "COVER YOURSELF!"

Atem did, noticing the woman breathe for the first time since he had seen her, "come with me, Kaiba… requests your presence."

Atem started.

There could be nothing worse but to have Kaiba know that he had been found wondering the streets naked! He had wanted Yugi to be the first one to know of his staying here too! Gulping he decided to take the risk, a ticking clock reminding him of his mission. He would need all the help he could get.

'Poor woman', Atem thought as he slid into the limo where the woman immediately offered him one of Kaiba's jackets to tie around his torso, though she caught her more than once glimpsing at his bareness, as he switched from umbrella to jacket. He was starting to feel rather uncomfortable, though it was better than being outside, it was… toasty.

The trip was short, or maybe it was the fact that Atem was knocked out in exhaustion. His father would have punished him for that, to sleep in presence of anyone. It was all too clear in his mind, almost as if his father was actually standing before him, calmly explaining the 'whys' to Atem while using his disappointed look and his 'you better not bring yourself into my presence until dinner.' He pressed his eyelids harder together, only to hear his father's voice once more. He would have given anything to have his father punish him again.

He felt the woman poking him, then leading him half-asleep out of the limo under the rain. It seemed better when he hadn't had to deal with tiredness… Not really, he smiled to himself and remembered he was alive.

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><p>"He's waking up Seto!" a very familiar voice called from afar.<p>

Waking up? What? Atem opened his eyes to a sharp pain in his head. There was a woman besides him who was completely dressed in white, just as her surroundings. He blinked a couple of times, trying to adjust. It was just too bright.

"Where am I?"

"You are in Domino's Memorial Hospital…" someone answered him. Atem's eyes widened when he turned to the boy who had spoken.

"Mokuba?" he gasped, "Kaiba? What are you doing here?"

The woman that had been checking some beeping machines to his left turned her attention to Kaiba.

"It's better if you leave now Mr. Kaiba. The patient needs rest."

"He will rest when he is dead," Kaiba answered as a matter of fact, "Now leave. I have business to do."

The woman seemed startled by such audacity, trapped between an inner fight to obey Kaiba or to do her duty to assist Atem. In the end, she left, eyeing Atem as if she would never see him again.

"Your name… your age… where you came from…the name of the eye in the puzzle Yugi once had… Joey Wheeler's favorite monster… and the card Yugi used to beat you."

Atem blinked, confused. Then again this was Kaiba. Wait, could he believe Atem was who he was? There was only one way to find out.

"Atem. Three thousand though you could say I am eighteen… nineteen years old I believe. Memphis, Egypt*. The eye of Horus. Red eyes Black dragon…" he sighed, feeling something in his throat that made it hard to answer the last question, "Monster Resurrection."

"Were you high last night?"

"What?"

"Seto!" Mokuba yelled suddenly, and the two brothers argued upon who was right. Atem sighed again, sitting up. He neither cared of their arguing nor knew what this 'high' word meant. It did leave him with some time for his mind to catch up with the moment.

He was in a hospital. Yugi and Atem had been to several ones throughout his time with him. He knew what they looked like very well.

"I must find Yugi," Atem said calmly, knowing that if he screamed at Kaiba, it wouldn't lead him anywhere.

Mokuba stared at him victoriously, "I told you so!"

"That means nothing," Kaiba replied, "I still don't believe this is him!"

'Being who? Oh!' Atem thought, sending a quick prayer to Thoth* before he spoke.

"Kaiba, you must listen and listen carefully," he said, "I am Pharaoh Atem… I know you know it, but arguing about it won't give us anymore time."

"Give us anymore time?" Kaiba seemed a bit curious now, just as Atem had hoped.

"Yugi and whoever knows him are in danger," he said, knowing that The Voice was not going to leave anyone out of the game, "I have to warn him.-"

"Wait…" Kaiba said, "You are telling me this after my assistant found you in the street naked? That you are an all too powerful pharaoh? That apart from supposedly being dead, you are supposed to have some dignity? To be Yugi's hero?"

"That is quite unlikely. Is it not Kaiba?" Atem said, seeing Kaiba's eyes boring into his. If he was right of what he said, Kaiba would take the bait. He smirked when Kaiba did.

"Why is Yugi in danger?"

"Someone wants to kill him," he said, being careful of how much information he should share, "That is why I'm back, I must protect him."

Kaiba rolled his eyes in pure annoyance, "I cannot believe I'm actually going to fall for this, but I'll go along with your game 'pharaoh.'"

Atem nodded, ignoring the mocking tone and the obvious fact Kaiba didn't want to believe him.

"So what are you going to do with your extra four days? Or are you only going to go back to the streets and run around naked?"

Atem gritted his teeth, but then again…

"How do you know I have five days?"

"You have four," Kaiba said, "you wasted one already."

Atem narrowed his eyes, changing his attention to Mokuba. Kaiba was getting on his nerves. He could feel the shadows that served him tensing. He still had yet to know how much control he had over them. It was almost scary.

"Mokuba, did anyone tell you I was coming?" Atem asked.

"Ishizu… she said someone had shown her," Mokuba looked up at his brother who only shook his head, "We thought you had told her you were coming."

Atem nodded. This was not good. The only other being that should have known he was coming was his adversary. It was unlikely for him to have told someone as influential as Ishizu. Yet again, he could be wrong. It could all be part of a greater plan he hadn't comprehended. It could be that by telling Ishizu first, she would freak out and try to help. Somehow, Atem's enemy might use her to open a chance as she gets closer to Yugi, without anyone knowing, hence, making it easy to go around Atem and going for Yugi right on.

Or maybe it was to ensure that everyone knew what was going on. With that, the ones who knew would try to protect Yugi, making Atem's mission harder since he would have to protect everyone.

Or maybe he was just over thinking it. His enemy probably wanted him to think so many ways things could happen with such a simple act. It could have been that the enemy wasn't thinking at all, just as it had appeared unsure with what rules he should apply for the game.

Atem had heard the voice well though. That playfulness his enemy had used to get Atem's guard down in the shadow realm. It was a lie. Atem was playing against someone that had played this game before, not only once, but several times.

"Uhmmm… Hello?" Mokuba asked, waving a hand across Atem's face, "Have you not been hearing what I have been telling you at all?"

Atem blinked at Mokuba. He had completely forgotten where he was, "It is possible I may have been arguing with myself while you talked."

Mokuba face palmed himself while Kaiba smirked.

"Don't you need Yugi to argue within your own mind?" Kaiba asked.

"Actually I believe you should try it sometime," Atem tried to stop himself but couldn't, "It helps you distinguish what is right and what is wrong." He should not have said that. Oh Ra! Let Kaiba be in a joking mood today! Only Kaiba didn't joke… at least not about himself.

"I need to find Yugi…" Atem said before the anger in Kaiba's eyes fell to his already half opened mouth, "Mokuba? Where is he?"

Mokuba thought for a moment and then said, "He's in his way to school."

School huh? Atem sighed. He remembered those endless hours where Yugi had to sit still, listening to this one teacher and this other talk. Sometimes, to kill time, Atem had paid attention to them. He still didn't get why Yugi couldn't understand math, it was just too easy.

'Well then, we have some time before I can contact Yugi without making a chaos. So let's fix some things before Yugi gets out of school, shall we?' Atem thought as if someone inside him could hear him. Out loud, he stated, "I need a phone and a number to contact Ishizu."

* * *

><p>*Seth: God of the desert, <span>storm<span>, and violence

*Horus: God chosen to protect the pharaohs at the time (enemy to Seth).

*Memphis, Egypt: Capital of Egypt 3000 years ago. PLus, to those who didn't know, it is in lower Egypt which is at the verge of the Nile's Delta, meaning that it's not in the middle of the desert like some seem to think :P

*Thoth: the god of wisdom

Hey everyone! I want to point out to those that wanted Yugi POV to come up in this chapter to work with me for a second. Yugi was sleeping throughout this chapter lol. So unless you want me to write about his way of sleeping then you can review/messag me that lol.

Please review so I can get better! If you have questions about it, ask! If you have suggestions, suggest! If you don't have anything to say... don't worry, you can think of something XD


	3. Chapter 3

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 3. Feelings **

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh rightfully belongs to Kazuki Tahakashi

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Yugi yawned as he dragged his feet on the concrete street. It was too early. There were some people already in the street, but all of them had gloomy faces. Either that or they seemed still asleep, having nightmares. But was it not a nightmare to have to wake up from a nightmare and go to school? Yugi sighed and looked around, not wanting the memory of the last night's nightmare return to claim him, to be naked in the streets… Yugi shuddered.<p>

Besides him, Joey stretched, groaning in annoyance. Yugi could almost read what was going through his best friend's mind. He was thinking that maybe this time; the teachers would be nice to him and forgive him for not doing his homework.

But they both knew the truth. It didn't even matter to them how many times Yugi had won these championships, homework was homework. End point. It would only turn out into a 'Don't try to make excuses that won't help you build your future young man' type of thing.

"I can't believe d'is, Yug!" Joey said, bringing Yugi back to the real world, "you seriously are going to the World Cup! The fi'st World Cup eve!"

Yugi smiled wearily, nodding. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something was going to happen, something bad. He could feel nervousness, as if he didn't have enough time… for what?

Yugi closed his eyes, wondering if his mind had started playing tricks on him again. Why else would he have dreamt that Yami… no, that Atem was back? Only mind tricks… nothing else.

"Earth to Yugi!" Tea suddenly said, making the King of Games jump.

"Sorry Tea, I was just…" Yugi looked at her, feeling his heart pounding harder at the sight of Tea. He shook the feeling off. Tea liked him as a friend, nothing else. "I just can't…"

"Yugi, you have all the right to miss him, we all do," Tea said.

"Some of us miss him for diffre'nt reasons," Joey snickered, gaining a slap from Tea.

"I was just stating the truth!" Joey said, robbing his now injured shoulder. Tea just sighed. Yugi could tell she was on the verge of tears as she sped up her pace, walking ahead of them, and turning a corner that would lead her to a longer route to school. She was still very sore from what had happened… or what had not happened.

"You shouldn't have done that Joey," Yugi said, feeling no need to hide his obvious jealousy towards Atem. If Tea compared them both, Yugi simply had no chance. He still had trouble getting over that fact. He looked up into the sky; there was no sign of the black clouds from the day before. That was good. He didn't like rain.

Shortly after, the school came into view, and Yugi couldn't help but feel excited beyond recognition. He smiled. It couldn't be helped, he was just so happy.

He halted, hearing Joey complain as he had to stop to wait for him. It was wrong, why was he so excited? It was school, just a normal day of school. Had he not just argued that school equaled nightmare? No, he was expecting something. It wasn't school what was exciting him. He closed his eyes, so many feelings that he couldn't place.

They weren't his.

They were… Atem's. Yugi gasped loudly at his own thoughts. Atem couldn't be here… He looked around wildly, his heart hoping with all its might for Atem to be here, his mind convincing him that it was just a trick, that Atem was in a better place.

Yugi swallowed his tears, still feeling the pang of excitement that made his heart race. Joey took the hint, except it wasn't the right one.

"Yugi 'bout what I said befo," he said, "I wasn't meaning to hu't you feelings."

Yugi looked up at Joey from where his gaze had landed in the bark of an oak tree not too far. He blinked at him, ignoring the last statement.

"Did you feel that?"

"Huh?"

"That's what I thought." Out of the corner of his eyes, the bark of the tree moved.

* * *

><p>Atem watched as this young man who had once been his hikari not so long ago hustled hurriedly towards the school, never taking his eyes off the bark where Atem was leaning.<p>

He had grown so much in such a short time. His voice was changing too, a voice stuck between that of a man and a child. Atem couldn't help but wonder if Yugi was still a child at heart. He hoped so.

Smiling sadly, Atem felt their mind-link dim away as Yugi entered the building. It wasn't gone, but it was too weak to mean much. Even when Yugi had been staring in his direction, the link had been weak enough to prevent Atem from projecting his own voice in Yugi's mind. Only the feelings of one another seemed to reach them.

Now that Yugi was too far, Atem knew that Yugi had felt Atem's excitement a bit before he had felt Yugi's anguish. Though that just left another question unanswered. Why were they able to feel each other's feelings after being completely separated? Atem doubted his enemy had had anything to do with it. It didn't make sense, but then again, why? Had the gods never truly separated him from Yugi? Maybe that was the reason he couldn't cross over.

But Yugi hadn't seen him either, just felt him, even though he had looked straight to where he was, here, leaning against the bark of an old oak tree, just like that, in plain view. He shook off the shadows that had concealed him from the eyes of Yugi and Joey, feeling himself sliding against the tree trunk until he was sitting, too tired to stand anymore.

It was foolish. Atem had never expected the shadows to take so much of his vital energy as he used them. If this was how much it tired him by simply hiding himself, then he was in big foreshadowing trouble.

In fact, the shadows he had used should have been too weak to conceal him from Yugi. He had felt Atem was there, yet he hadn't wished to see him. None of them had, and Atem was beginning to realize something he had never thought about.

Yugi was scared to see Atem.

He was scared because, when he beat Atem in the Ceremonial Duel, he had decided to let him go. Yugi wasn't ready for him to just appear, alive, in front of him. It had been too harsh for him to be separated.

Atem could feel it now as Yugi was lost from his view, dim, but it was there, inside Yugi's very heart. He feared for his return. Atem couldn't return according to Yugi, because he was still fighting with the fact that he was gone for good, never to come back. It would destroy all those walls that he had built around himself in order to keep Atem's memory away. They would just crumble and crush Yugi. That is why Yugi had gotten scared when Atem's feelings had reached him.

That's how strong Yugi's feelings were and how weak his ability to control them was. Atem blinked. Had he just insulted Yugi? Well, it was true. He was weak, or weaker in that aspect. Atem grinned, that was a lie. Yugi was strong, stronger than Atem. Even though he wasn't ready for Atem, he was.-

Atem closed his eyes just to open them again. This trail of thinking was taking him nowhere. Whether Yugi wanted it or not, Atem was here, ready to see upon Yugi's safety. If there had been anything Atem could have done to never get in the way of Yugi again, then he would have risked everything he had to do it, except Yugi's safety, and that's why he was here.

Then it hit him. Yugi wasn't the one who couldn't move on, it was Atem. It had always been him. Yugi had a whole life ahead of him. Meanwhile, Atem had… What DID Atem have?

Again, he closed his eyes. It wasn't time to think this through either. It just didn't matter. He would have to show himself to Yugi after school either way, whether Yugi expected it or not, whether Atem was ready or not.

He stood, leaning heavily on the tree. He should just have had used a hard object like a normal person to knock those guards back in the hospital down. As in right now, the use of shadows was proving itself too expensive for his body.

He started walking in the direction where Yugi had come from, hoping to remember the way to the game shop. First, he would need a deck and someone that could fill him in about what had been going around. Solomon Mutou would be perfect.

* * *

><p>They entered the class just as the second bell rang. The teacher said nothing but glared at them. Quietly and knowing they were going to be watched closely the rest of the day, they sat down in their assigned sits.<p>

"Good morning students," the teacher said and from there on, Yugi heard no more.

The feeling of excitement had vanished and was replaced by a huge longing in his heart. He knew what it was. It was as strong as when they had been separated, and even though he hated himself for remembering, he couldn't just pretend. It had felt as if Atem had been watching him. Those feelings had not been his, they had been Atem's. He was so sure it scared him… Atem was supposed to be.-

"Yugi?"

"Huh?" Yugi said as he focused his gaze on Tea, who was watching him with something like anger in her eyes.

"Were you even paying attention to me?"

Yugi shook his head, there was no need to lie.

"He's been like d'is all da' Tea," Joey said as if Yugi wasn't even there. Yugi was about to protest, but Joey had hugged his head (yes his head) and was now petting him, "We a' wonde'ing if you can help us out."

Tea seemed to think about it, then bore her eyes into Yugi's, "We need to talk."

"He's back Tea." Yugi whispered, his eyes widening at his own words, why had he just said that? It couldn't be true.

Tea only raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"I told ya! He's lost it," Joey said from behind, passing his hand over Yugi's face over and over. But Yugi just couldn't stop feeling that excitement; it had already clawed his way to his heart, to his soul. Atem had been watching him… from where that oak tree was. The feeling of excitement... it had been the pharaoh's!

As if fate had only been waiting for Yugi to realize it on his own, two girls came in the classroom and upon seeing Yugi one of them screamed,

"Holy shit! How are you here? We just saw you walk out of the school grounds with a police outfit on!"

Yugi stared at the two girls, his mind had gone blank. He saw Joey and Tristan both gasping and reaching for Yugi as he felt himself falling. His mind was giving him too much to think about. How? Where? When?... but then there was always the one question that ruined everything else… "Why?"

* * *

><p>Atem turned his attention to the direction where the school was. The mind-link… He had lost it a couple of blocks back, but now it was back, as if Yugi was forcing Atem to pay attention to it.<p>

The link was still too weak though, without the millennium puzzle it seemed to require much more strength and concentration to make it of use. Atem shuddered at the thought, as if he had any energy left to spend.

But yet again, this could only mean one thing, Atem eyes widened as he halted his walk completely. Yugi knew Atem was here, there was no other way for him to know the link still existed. Yugi hadn't seen Atem leaning against that oak tree, but he must have realized it afterwards. Now he wanted to be sure it was real.

Yes, Atem could now feel it in the way Yugi pushed at the link, trying to shape it as it once had been when the millennium puzzle had hung from Yugi's neck. Only, Yugi was doing a foul job at it. He seemed to have no idea how to get the link to Atem without it backfiring.

Atem breathed deeply, Yugi knew he was alive. It made it much more real, even more than when he had been lying on the filth floor last night, feeling the tears of the sky upon his body. It was just too real.

He focused on the link for a moment, ignoring the tiredness that his body was beginning to feel would overpower him. The world faded away and infront of him Yugi himself appeared. Atem felt the urge to get to him, to embrace him, to console him just as it had been before. But no, that was not meant to be, they weren't even supposed to share feelings any longer.

Atem took a step towards Yugi, noticing how the boy fell to his knees, his face reflecting the pain he was going through to keep the mind –link strong enough so they could see each other. He nodded to Yugi, whose eyes widened, tears accumulating in the verge of them both. So precious a sight to behold, Yugi, shinning like the only hope in a future full of darkness, just like he had been so many times before.

Atem smiled, then raise his hand towards Yugi and ordered the shadows to block the link. He saw Yugi stand as the shadows made his image fuzzy. The panic Yugi was feeling reached Atem, mingling with his own feelings, but he didn't order the shadows to stop. If keeping the link connected took this much strength from both of us, then as far as now, it was foolish to keep it up. It was hurting Yugi. Atem couldn't let that happen, they would see each other, just not this way.

Finally, he felt Yugi's hold on the link weakening, giving Atem enough time to send Yugi back to his own body and leaving the link alone. It was the right thing to do, Yugi would have to forgive his brutality. It was just that.-

Atem gripped his head with both hands, a pulsing pain had started to form in his temples. He could hear them, the shadows snarling at him, trying to enter his mind and fill it with lies. He wouldn't let them. Or maybe…

The world focused again, or rather unfocused on reality. The shadows were simply taking too much strength away from him.

A very loud sound made Atem turn his attention outside his own mind. He narrowed his eyes when the man behind the truck's wheel didn't stop beeping at him. Yes, so now he had to deal with this absurdity.

That was another thing about Yugi; he always had the worst of timing when it came to doing something.

The man in the truck made wild gestures towards the green light that hung in the middle of the street, then indicated Atem with less than a nice gesture to get off the street. Atem looked at the side-walk that the man had pointed, then back at the driver, but he stayed put. No one ordered him around like that.

The man seemed to explode, opening the door of the truck and jumping down, heading straight for Atem who only raised an eyebrow. He would have gotten out the truck's way, but the man seemed just so decided in bothering him. It was not enough to have been forced to shove Yugi aside in his own mind, his partner.

No, now he had to deal with this.

"Who the hell do you think you are you son of a.-"

Atem stared as the man halted his walk. He was watching Atem, his eyes, who had moments before been full of anger were now those of a kid who had seen his worst nightmare coming to life. Atem tilted his head to the side, liking his fear.

"Who the hell are you?" the man asked, his voice just a whisper that barely carried through the beeping that was being made behind the truck.

"Do you like games?" Atem asked, knowing the shadows were delighted, "It has been so very long since I played with anyone."

"What the…" the man started backing away, his eyes wild, "get, get away from me you freak!" He started running towards his truck. Atem intended to follow, but when he gave a step, a sharp pain in the back of his head made him gasp. He reached for the area with his hand, then look at the man getting in the truck.

He waited until the green light that had seemed to infuriate the man so much changed to red and feeling as if he had won something, decided to walk ahead, thinking what had just happened through.

By saying what he had just told the man, he had the shadows fooled. Hence, they had given him the strength he had lost with Yugi. It was strange, too delicate a subject to try to comprehend, but this could be the only way to get the shadows to do his bidding without Atem exhausting himself every time he required them. There was a thought…

To cheat the shadows… Ironic.

It was normally the shadows that played with whoever wants them, not the other way around. To play with the shadows would only result in eventual failure. Just take Marik for example. He had ordered the shadows around, trying to twist their rules to fit his own. It hadn't ended up good for him.

It was so foolish that it almost compared to the time Atem had decided to tell his father he was bored… No, that was definitely not a good simile. They had nothing to do with each other. To try to cheat the shadows… no one did that and lived to tell.

Yet, Atem pondered the idea as he walked, making a right turn here and a left turn there where it seemed just right. Marik had failed dearly in supremacy against the shadows, and he hadn't even really broken any of the rules the shadows had given him. To cheat the shadows…

But without the millennium puzzle, the use of shadows was expensive enough so Atem couldn't afford it. He wondered if The Voice had foreseen this, for Atem to try and cheat the shadows. It didn't matter. If The Voice had thought about it, then it would too have known there was no other way for it to be done, no way for Atem to have any power that might help him win this game.

Or maybe the voice thought of Atem as a rule-follower since he had given no reason to believe he could be a potential cheater. Atem grinned.

His second option was much more rational. It was the key to beating this enemy. Atem would have to do exactly the opposite of what he had been doing all of his existence. He had to confuse his enemy so much that whatever he knew about him would be worthless information.

Now, to the shadows cheating idea… maybe it was not such a wrecked thought after all. Atem knew the shadows were unpredictable, but just minutes ago he had been able to fool them by letting his annoyance and anger rise to the surface. They had reacted and offered him energy instead of taking it away in the prospect of a future Yami No Game.

It was dangerous, such feelings of power could make Atem lose himself to the desires of his dark side. He could potentially end up confusing himself as he tried to control his moods, from a normal state to anger and back to a normal state, maybe even losing his sense of rightfulness.

It would make him a threat to Yugi and his friends' safety. It had too much negative things… but maybe it was the only way. To save Yugi, he would have to put them all through danger.

Atem would have to learn to control the shadows, not by how he had once controlled them with the millennium puzzle, but by what Yugi had tried to destroy in Atem. The darkness… Yami.

And he had had just the perfect teacher… Bakura.

* * *

><p>Hey YGO fans! Thanks for reading yet another chapter of Dark Destinies... hope you enjoy it!<p>

Several things though:

First, from now on I'm going to be uploading strictly once a week due to school. But I shall not fail you!

Second, I feel like my writing is too heavy, hard to digest... and that I may have slipped a bit (if not a lot) in Yugi's personality. I hate thinking that I made Yugi too much of a whimp and Atem too much of a bully. So whoever noticed this, please tell me! And if you think you can, tell me what I can do to fix it! :P

Suggestions, comments, questions... you know how what to do!


	4. Chapter 4

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 4. Unexpected**

* * *

><p><em>(Okay, this is a re- upload for chapter 4 since I thought (with the help of my reviews) that it was very confusing, so I tried fixing it and promise that I will do better in further chapters in that area) ... The italized words are the author notes in the re-upload by the way.<em>

* * *

><p>Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It rightly belongs to Kazuki Tahakashi.<p>

Thanks to ll Kairi ll and Yangu Fuyu for inspiring me for future chapters!

* * *

><p>The Game shop finally came into view as he turned a corner in a familiar looking street, giving Atem a gullible reason to smirk victoriously.<p>

This was why asking directions to random people was the wrong thing to do. You couldn't just trust anyone about how to get anywhere nowadays. They would always mess up the directions, sending the asker to the end of the world and back.

Of course Atem should have guessed he was being sent in a goose chase when that old lady in the street had started to squint her eyes as if trying to remember where the Game Shop was. That had been a giveaway, yet there he went, trying to make sense of the lady's words and signs that were so obviously wrong. He should have never asked her anything in the first place.

'Never ask for directions if you want to get somewhere in time,' Atem thought, adding it to his new list of what not to do when Yugi wasn't around. Funny, in this few hours he had been walking in the streets of Domino City, he had already started to think of Yugi as his partner again. As if he could rely on Yugi on everything he needed in this modern world. Atem smiled, betting that Yugi would, as sure as Ra rises in the sky, help Atem with the stupidest thing he could come up with.

"Yugi!"

Heart pounding, Atem's head shot to his left at the sound of the name, he had stopped his walk to admire the Game Shop, not thinking that he might be confused by Yugi himself. But the person who stood beside him was nothing less and nothing more than Ishizu and Marik Ishtar.

"Ah! Ishizu, Marik," Atem said, rejoicing in the sight of this known people, "It has been so very long." Had he just given himself away as Atem too early? Well, Ishizu was supposed to know he was back either way.

"Oh," Marik said, his eyes widening, "So you truly are back, I guess there is just no way to kill you, eh?"

"Pardon my brother's hurtful remarks," Ishizu said, eyeing his brother with an icy glare that made Marik shrug. Then, she bowed down, offering her heart to Atem by kneeling on her right knee. Marik followed her sister's example, but did not kneel before Atem but rather bended his right knee and head, keeping his left side to Atem, offering his heart and strength to the once called pharaoh.

Atem watched them, wordless. He had known that Ishizu looked at him as if he still had the power to call forth an army or save the lives of thousands, but he had never guessed she would actually bow to him, giving him the power over herself on her own free will.

It awakened so many memories in Atem, standing beside his father's throne, watching as each peasant, noble, and foreigner bow low in respect and awe. He remembered the day of his coronation too, how he had gotten out of the palace, and every head was bowed to him, every child held up for him to kiss. Everybody had offered him their lives, either out of fear or love. How low had he fallen now, thinking on how he could cheat the shadows, like a thief in the night… a certain thief.

Now he looked down at Ishizu, her figure immobile, waiting for Atem to order her to stand. Yet, he said nothing, taking in her hunched over figure before him. He didn't have the power anymore. He wasn't the pharaoh. He didn't deserve this.

Turning his attention to Marik, he noticed him bowing a bit lower, but even in this action, Atem knew that Marik knew that he was no pharaoh, that he was a shadow of what he had once been… just like the voice had said.

"Arise Ishizu," Atem said, watching longingly as she obeyed him, leveling her gaze to his as she stood. Marik straightened himself too, but he didn't look at Atem directly in the eye, as if he was ashamed of something.

"My pharaoh…" Ishizu said, letting Atem take in the word, letting him savor the power it beheld. He knew he should tell her here and now that she calling him that was wrong, that she shouldn't bow, but he couldn't.

"My pharaoh?" Marik asked, bringing Atem back to the real world… the present one at least, "We came to ask you some questions. I'm sure you can guess what type of questions are they, right?"

Atem nodded, still feeling dazed by such name. Then he realized something.

"Ishizu, Kaiba has told me that you were aware of my coming."

"Yes, but only the night before your arrival," she bowed, but did not lose eye contact, "We had no time to prepare for you."

If they had had time to prepare… then Atem's enemy would be no threat at all. No, the voice had to be very aware of how time was consumed in this little game of his.

"It is fine Ishizu, I was unprepared myself…" Oh yes, naked in the street definitely had to count like 'unprepared.'

Ishizu didn't seem to catch his joking tone, which disappointed Atem, but not too long.

"So yeah, we had been looking for you since we arrived… funny thing was when we finally seemed to find where you were… you ran away from the hospital?" Marik asked, his tone was lightening up, Atem could see that whatever had him down was dissipating in importance.

"Ughhh," Atem said, "Well I was… not thinking at all."

Atem sighed, this one, Joey would have called an epic fail for an answer.

Marik snickered, covering his mouth with his hand, "Kaiba was really pissed when he told us that he had lost you."

Atem grinned, the sight of that was just too precious.

"Which reminds me," Ishizu said, "Did anyone look at you strangely since you, uhmmm… escaped?"

Atem blinked at the question, what was that supposed to mean? Was someone spying on him? He had been too busy going through his new dangerous now plan B to notice anyone watching him. Atem gritted his teeth. How could he fool the shadows when he couldn't even keep his guard up?

"Hey! You gotta relax. My sister was saying that because… well…" Marik said, raising his hands as if to show he was innocent.

"Your clothes my pharaoh," Ishizu ended, "With all due respect but, first of all, you are barefoot. Second, you are wearing those pants backwards. Third, you smell…"

Atem looked at himself up and down, sighing. Ishizu was right. He hadn't had time to check for details. He glanced at the siblings, noticing they were actually expecting an explanation.

"I was trying to attain time, if you are not aware, there isn't much left," Atem said, grinning as Marik and Ishizu both seemed to awake from this useless talkative state. Time was key.

He would finally get the answers he was searching for. Probably even find a way to win this Yami no Game without the use of shadows… It sounded silly, to win a shadow game without the shadows, but so was the idea of believing himself more intelligent than the said shadows.

Ishizu nodded and was about to open her mouth, but she closed it again, her eyes giving the slightest of rolls.

"Yugi Mutou! What the heck are you doing here!" an all too familiar voice called from behind him, "What the heck are you doing out of school young man!"

Atem turned, he had always laughed at the way he scowled Yugi, now it seemed to be backfiring him.

There, infront of him, Solomon stood, his features tight with anger. Atem held his breath, then let it out slowly, watching as Yugi's grandpa's eyes widened when he realized the man infront of him was not Yugi, but someone much older.

His face became wild; his eyes scanning every bit of Atem and, when Atem nodded curtly, the box Mr. Mutou had been holding fell from his grasp, followed closely by that unique sound of glass breaking.

* * *

><p>Yugi ran, ignoring the calls that Tristan, Tea, and Joey made from behind as he raced down the street away from the Game Shop.<p>

He had fled the school just as soon as the shadows had blocked out the mind-link he had finally gotten to Atem in the morning. He still didn't know what to make out of that. There was only one thing he knew. No matter what, the shadows meant something bad, something very bad, and they were targeting Atem.

But Atem hadn't been waiting against the oak tree like in the morning when he was finally able to slip away from school with the help of his friends. He hadn't been in the Game Shop either even though Yugi had been pretty sure that was where Atem was headed. Instead, he had found a slip of paper in the front door of the shop that read only one thing.

'Go back to school… or what you wish not to happen shall happen.'

There had been a bad drawing of the millennium eye in the upper right corner of the paper and, when Yugi had reached for it, it had burst into flames, dissolving in his hands.

Yugi turned a corner, this one though, had much more people and he was forced to dodge them, slowing his pace. He felt his legs burning with tiredness, running from school to the Game Shop where he had thought Atem would be heading, and back again after reading the note was too much for him. But right now, there was only one thing he could think of. Atem was in danger.

He had to save him. If he had to sacrifice himself for Atem, then he would do it without hesitating. Atem had saved Yugi so many times; Yugi couldn't back down now, no matter what. He would die a million times before seeing his partner get hurt.

The school came into view; classes were still taking place, though they would soon be over and a swarm of high school kids would invade the front of the school.

Yugi slowed down into a walk, trying to catch his breath. His legs were feeling as if they were going to give up. He didn't even know where to look first for Atem, so he headed towards the oak tree, hoping there might be a clue of where Atem was.

"Yugi, hold on!" Tristan yelled, grabbing Yugi's shoulder so he would have to stop and turn. Joey was right behind Tristan, both of them breathing heavily.

"S'nce when hav' you been able to run d'is fast!" Joey asked, "Wha' happened?"

Someone bumped into Yugi, but he tried his best to ignore the pain.

Yugi looked at Joey. He didn't really know what to say, so he just pointed at the school and kept walking, crossing the street that would take him to the school grounds.

"Yugi!"

"There was a note in the Game Shop's door. It said that if I didn't come here… something bad would happen," Yugi said, running again towards the oak tree, "I think they have Atem!"

"What!" his followers said in unison.

"Yug are you su'?" Joey asked as Yugi stepped into the wide stretch of grass infront of the school. In doubt of his strength, he took out his deck, holding it tight, if there was someone strong enough to cause Atem trouble… well, what could Yugi do against it?

"What else could the note mean?" Yugi said, stopping for a moment and looking around, there was barely anyone outside, "It said that whatever I wish not to happen will happen."

They reached the shade of the oak tree. Atem had been standing under its shadow not so long before. Yugi shivered at the thought.

He placed his hand on the bark of the tree, as if doing that would bring Atem closer to Yugi. He could feel sobs rising to his chest, adding to his quick short breaths after running for so long, and before he knew it, he had his forehead pressed against the bark of the tree, trying desperately not to break down. Why had he left! Yugi hadn't been ready for Atem to go… to be separated from his other half. But Atem had been ready, had been waiting for more than 3000 years to rest in peace. Why was he back? It wasn't fair for Atem. It wasn't fair for Yugi.

Joey and Tristan were behind him, Tea standing farther behind, but either neither of them knew what to say, or they knew words couldn't consol him. Atem had been here, leaning against this very tree, and now he was in danger, probably because of Yugi.

Yugi closed his eyes. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Atem.

Someone laughed.

Yugi's eyes shot open as he turned around to see Tristan and Joey's eyes fixed in the branches above them. Yugi followed their gaze, eyes widening as he came across the owner of the laugh.

Resting on a high branch, half covered in the foliage of the tree a man with yet black eyes chuckled. It was no one Yugi knew, though he seemed familiar, as if Yugi simply had forgotten he existed until now. He knew it. He just knew. This was the guy that had placed the note on the door.

The man smirked, burrowing his too black eyebrows in an almost diabolic way while balancing himself in the apparently thin branches.

"Who the hell are you?" Joey yelled, simply gaining a tilt of the head from the mysterious guy.

"Where is Atem?" This time, it was Yugi. He couldn't waste any more time, he needed to find Atem now.

The man tilted his head the other way, blinking.

"This Atem you speak of. I imagine he's the one that was meant to read the note and not you," His voice wasn't very deep, but enough for it to sound threatening in a humorless way. Yet, what he had said…

"Wait… that note was meant for Atem?" Yugi asked, feeling his bravery wavering, so Atem wasn't even in danger… yet?

"Yes and no," the black haired one said, "I know, such childish way to set someone up… should have kidnapped you before leaving a note to Atem that he was going to lose you…"

The man licked his lips, then continued, "Pardon my ways, but I'm only following directions."

Joey jumped suddenly, meaning to snatch the guy's foot from where it was dangling now that he had sat up, but he was too far off the ground. Instead he laughed.

"Are these your bodyguards? And that one over there your personal cheerleader?" he asked amused, "they are not as intelligent as they should be…"

"What did you say!" Tea exploded, backed up by a very angry Joey, "Who is the one who left a note and didn't mean a word it said!"

"You are here, aren't you?" The guy said simply, turning his full attention to Yugi for the next, "Yugi Mutou… I hear you are good at games?"

Yugi gritted his teeth, was he challenging him?

"Yugi… let's get out of here, we can still look for Atem before this creep does anything," Tristan said, ready to drag Yugi out of there.

"Ah, interesting," the guy said, his smirk back in place, "I thought that The Dark One had his reasons for me to kill this man. I thought he would be a threat to him but… now I see."

"You see what!" Joey snapped while Yugi tried to make sense of the words, 'The Dark One?'

"I see that this person, Atem is it not? Is too lame," he said, "If he has not made contact with you by now… it seems to me as if he doesn't even care to save Yugi."

"To save me?" Yugi asked, feeling his heart fell. No … Atem was here, not in the afterlife where he wanted to be… because of Yugi? Yugi could feel his guilt consuming him. He was supposed to be helping Atem, not the other way around.

"Well I have wasted too much time," the dark-eyed said, "It would be better for all of you to die before this Atem can be turned against us."

Joey and Tristan both raced the short distance to Yugi and placed themselves infront of him, Tea quickly placing herself beside Yugi, "over our dead bodies!"

The guy tilted his head, letting some of his long strands of hair fall in his eyes, he smiled.

"Lame, that IS the idea."

Yugi tried to look over Joey's shoulder, but he couldn't see the guy any longer, he was just too short.

"Wait!" Yugi yelled, glad as Joey and Tristan both stopped their catcalls to this 'who knows what he can do,' person.

"Listen, I'll play whatever game you want to play, just don't get anyone else involved!" Yugi could feel himself trembling a bit. If he was right and this was a shadow game… well, he had never played a shadow game by himself. Only once, in Pegasus's castle and he had ended up too weak to even remain conscious.

The mysterious character's interest seemed spiked at the prospect though; Yugi could see it in his eyes, the way they suddenly brightened in a dark kind of way. He hopped down from the tree, landing neatly on both feet.

Both so called bodyguards automatically charged toward the guy who had turned out to be much younger than Yugi had expected. He appeared younger than Joey and Tristan, though Yugi knew by a fact that looks could deceive.

"No Joey! Tristan! Stop! Don't touch him!"

Neither of them listened.

Easily, the guy side stepped Tristan, leaving his foot in just the right place so Joey would trip over it and consequently, fall on top a very confused Tristan.

The dark haired guy laughed, his laugh almost careless, childish even. Joey and Tristan were on his feet within the second.

"Wait!" Yugi screamed, "Stop!"

Finally, they seem to halt their blind attack, turning their attention to Yugi. The guy only laughed all the harder.

"Wise choice Yugi Mutou. You shall die first."

Yugi stepped back as the guy walked casually towards him, ignoring his friends' complains behind him.

"Yugi Mutou, I shall accept your.-"

"Stop," came a voice from behind Yugi, a voice he knew, a voice so familiar it ailed, "if you are looking for a fight, your opponent shall be me, not Yugi."

Yugi felt his heart stop… that voice. There was only one person that spoke like that, such deep voice, such confidence…

He turned around, ever so slowly that every muscle in his body had time to tighten and relax, preparing for what he would find. Except, nothing could have been done to keep him from feeling his heart burst.

He was standing there, right where the shade of the tree reached him but just so that the multicolored spikes of his hair were bathed in the ruthless sunlight. There, he was standing, really really there… there. Yugi rubbed his eyes as if to clean them, but when he opened them again, he was still standing in the same spot, looking at him. After more than a year, Atem had done the impossible again. He was back.

Yugi could feel tiredness rushing through him, his legs were trembling, all that running was finally catching up to him. He saw as Atem rushed to him, his features twisted with concern as Yugi fell to his knees, but somehow, at the same time, his eyes were daggers full of anger.

Anger directed towards the man behind Yugi.

"Atem…" Yugi whispered. He was here.

Atem reached for Yugi, wrapping his arms around him, bringing him in for a tight hug. It was so strange; Atem had never hugged him, not like this. They had never truly touched physically. Only in his mind had they been able to touch, though Atem had never been someone to hug either way.

But he was back, as if he had never said that he would never come back. Yugi smiled, everything else forgotten for a moment, just a moment, as if he could go and hide inside his own mind and let Atem take over once again.

He was such a coward.

Behind him, the mysterious man spoke under his breath, or rather hissed incomprehensible words. Then, he was gone, consumed by a veil of shadows that burned him like flames.

* * *

><p>How could he have not been able to simply backstab the boy! It would have been way too easy; the dagger had been only inches from his fingers, hidden in his belt. No one would have been able to react if he had placed that dagger deep in the child's back when he had been too awestruck when watching the newcomer. He passed a hand through his black hair, feeling the bitter bite of the shadows that he had called to take him away from the scene.<p>

That man, he must have been whom the kid had called Atem.

The name hadn't ring a bell in his head though. He had studied several people who had been known not only in this time but throughout the ages, people who would keep a low profile, but still intelligent enough to awaken The Dark One's interest. But no, Atem's name didn't ring a bell.

The shadows opened themselves for him, leaving him right where he had wished to go.

He placed the key into the socket hole of his apartment, feeling weak after having used so much of his energy to transport himself from the place where the two look-alikes had been staring at each other to the front door of his apartment.

'Atem must not have been very bright though' he thought as he walked into the place he had been living for more than six months now. Atem had let Yugi give his back to the threat, to him. He should have known better. He had even left those Egyptian siblings without telling them where he was heading, just running of in the direction where he thought Yugi was after the Kid's grandfather had received a call saying that Yugi Mutou was missing from school. Yes, this Atem was lame.

No, Atem was a newcomer, a newbie player. He didn't know what was expected of him and what wasn't in this shadow game. That is why they usually lose to The Dark One's games within a few days. The new ones just think themselves too good, invincible.

For what he had seen though, Yugi was doomed for Atem was too useless to help him. They wouldn't last a few hours longer. In fact, 'The Dark One' had probably already sent another player to aniquilate Atem.

Atem should have gotten to Yugi as soon as he awoke in this world, warn him, be aware of every shadow, every sound. If he let the one meant to die, this time Yugi, unprotected, his war against The Dark One would come to an end fast.

But, he could have ended it all. He could have been the one to slay the kid's heart, just as The Dark One had wanted him to. He could have ended this. He could have brought Xochitl back from the shadows where The Dark One kept her. If only he had killed that child, he could have the life that he and Xochitl had been scraped from.

Only if his hand hadn't been frozen when he had the chance to make the kill.

She would be with him now, and he would be protecting her once again from The Dark One… But he hadn't killed the boy, not even a scratch. He had feared the blood of the innocent child to stain his own heart. Poor Yugi, to be dragged along because of Atem's dark antecedents, if Atem had been the one giving his back to him, the dark eyed guy would not have even hesitated to slash his throat open, a painful, shameful death.

He grabbed a beer from the pathetic excuse for a kitchen and sat in the couch, staring blankly at the old TV set.

He should have known not to look in those big purple eyes of his. There had been no trace of evil within the child. He had even faced him to protect his friends. He had gone to the oak tree because he thought this Atem character was in trouble.

The dark eyed guy popped open his beer with the corner of the table before him. That kid had a noble soul, just like Xochitl.

He couldn't stop but wonder who The Dark One had sent to kill this useless player apart from him. Maybe he would hang around to see how he dies.

* * *

><p><em>Again, this is a re-upload to fix most confusing sections, though I know the fact that Ishizu and Marik disappear from the chapter is still kind of confusing... I will explain this in the next chapter. Thanks to ll Kairi ll , Youngbountygirl, and ThiefOfHearts for pointing it out!<em>

Hello everyone! Hope you are enjoying the story thus far!

Please tell me if you want my new OC playing a role in the story! Personally, I am not really a fan of OC's so I know how they can get very annoying to you guys who only want to know about the actual Yu Gi Oh characters. Please tell me what you think! I can still get rid of the OC (no hard feelings if you want him gone) But you have to tell me!

I want to especially thank ll Kairi ll whose review and feedback helped me big time with Yugi's character. Hopefully making my writing this story much more closer to the real thing (hopefully) XD


	5. Chapter 5

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 5 The Raven**

* * *

><p>Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! it belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.<p>

I do not own "The Raven," it belongs to Edgar Allan Poe's memory.

Last chapter: Yugi and Atem meet before the mysterious character could harm Yugi. Then the mysterious character dissapears in a veil of darkness, leaving everyone in a daze.

Please do enjoy!

* * *

><p>Every single pair of eyes was fixated on the very spot where the dark haired character had stood just moments before disappearing into thin air. Even Yugi had been able to gain enough composure to open his eyes and look around.<p>

That man had been standing there just moments before! Now he was gone. As if he had just been an illusion. Yugi stood slowly from where he was sitting on the floor, barely aware that Atem had already left his side and was walking towards the spot where the dark-haired one had vanished.

He followed Atem with his gaze, watching him while he examined a darkish mark that was all that was left of the man.

Atem looked at Yugi, then at the rest of the group, his eyes widening. Yugi could feel Atem's emotions, but they were either too complicated or the mind-link wasn't working well.

Atem was here, infront of him… not as a spirit but as a man. Yugi felt his eyes swell with tears, but he pushed them back, knowing that crying would be worthless.

Then the ex-pharaoh turned to Yugi, his eyes observing him, unwavering; making it impossible to know anything that went through his mind. It was not as it had been before when they couldn't keep secrets from each other.

No one talked for the time being. No one wanted to be the first one to break the spell that had fallen upon them. Even the wind that had been blowing a few seconds before seemed to be holding its breath. Waiting.

Yugi could feel his heart beat against his chest. This wasn't true. It just couldn't be happening. Atem was…

Atem smiled, a warm gentle smile which Yugi had only seen at the moment of his departure. He shrieked at the memory of Atem leaving him alone to fend for himself. And yet, both of them had supposedly been ready to separate. If that was true, then Yugi had no idea why he was feeling as if he was only half of a person and the other half was standing right infront of him.

Atem walked a few steps toward Yugi, and feeling hypnotized, Yugi did too, until they were less than a couple of inches apart from each other.

They stood like that for a while, neither of them speaking, but taking each other in.

It had been more than a year… Atem's appearance had not changed at all. Maybe his spiked up hair was a bit messy, not neatly spikes like Yugi's own. It gave off an air of revelry. He didn't look any older though, but maybe even younger than what Yugi remembered him to be, somehow smaller.

Yugi held his breath, a smile creeping through his lips.

"I am taller than you…" Yugi said, his voice sounding way more confident than how he felt.

Atem's eyes narrowed. He seemed uncaring as to whether they had been separated for a year. Almost as if they had never said their farewells. Maybe he didn't even miss Yugi, of course that 'I am taller than you.' Well, had he not been able to think of something more stupid to say?

"No," Atem said, "I'm still taller."

Yugi blinked. Then he tried to copy Atem's gesture, narrowing his own eyes and tilting his head to the left. He knew it wasn't turning out as he hoped when Atem's lips stretched into a mocking smile. It had been too long.

"I missed you Pharaoh," Yugi said, naming him the first thing that came into his mind, "I missed you."

"I missed you too Yugi," Atem said shortly, but the warmth in his eyes was enough to tell Yugi that he couldn't have said anything more truthful.

There was another gap in time where no one made a sound, not even Tea, who Yugi had heard sobbing quietly beside Joey and Tristan. When the time to end this prolonged moment came, it was Yugi, who leaned forward with extended arms.

He embraced Atem tightly.

Atem returned the gesture, but his hug was rather shy, almost as if he wasn't sure, even though he had hugged him not that long ago. But that uncharacteristic thing of Atem ended soon and he hugged tighter, protectively.

Yugi felt a tear fall from his eye, leaving a mark of a perfect circle in his lost self's shirt. A million questions were making their way into Yugi's mind, but he didn't want to know the answers, not yet. The only thing that mattered was that he was complete again. Atem had returned… and he would not get tired of saying that.

"Yugi," Atem said, "you must pardon me. I should have been much more attentive. I should have come to you as soon as I could."

Yugi broke the embrace and stared at his partner, "What do you mean?"

"I…" Atem began only to be cut off by a very excited Joey.

"It ain't matter right now!" he said cheerfully, "whoeve' was the' isn't anymo' so let's get on with a new ch'pter 'kay?"

Yugi looked at Joey. He had almost forgotten he wasn't alone with Atem. Tea smiled too and walked closer to where they both stood. She nodded to Atem, her sobs rising in power. Yugi tried to ignore that glint in her eyes as she spoke to them.

"Yeah, you don't want to forget your less important friends do you Yugi?"

Atem laughed silently while Yugi felt himself blush at how he might look in their eyes right now.

"You are so not less important," He said, his voice rising.

"Ain't not?" This time it was Tristan's turn, "What happened when I left on vacation to Tokashiki Island with my family! I bet you didn't miss me so much!"

"You were gone for three days Tristan. And besides, who would miss you?" Joey stated in a matter of fact voice. Atem grinned and that being too much for Tea, she threw herself with extended arms against the pharaoh, weeping freely.

Atem glanced at Yugi, who laughed nervously as the pharaoh threw a face that stated that he was far from comfortable. Yet, he didn't push Tea away.

"I have missed you greatly Tea," Atem said, then he grabbed Tea's chin and lifted it, digging into her soul with his eyes. Yugi watched nervously, trying to keep his mind away from what could happen if either Tea or Atem tilted their heads forward. But Atem did not such thing. Instead, he kissed Tea's hand and backed away, leaving her awestruck.

"What did you just say you son of a bitch!" Joey screamed, suddenly pushing Tristan away from the group. Yugi could only guess what they had been whispering while the whole Tea and Atem scene occurred right infront of his eyes. Joey seemed very mad though.

The bell that marked the end of the school day rang. Yugi noticed Atem jumping slightly at the sound… so he still got nervous around loud unexpected noises like thunder. Yugi chuckled at that, receiving a sharp scold from Atem.

His face clear in what he wanted to say, 'If you dare tell a soul, you shall pay.' Yugi laughed, both in relief at having Atem back and as a way to hide the awkwardness he was feeling. An evil feeling that wanted to sprout in his heart from watching Tea so lost for Atem.

"You guys have a lot to tell us," Tristan said, poking Atem and hugging him shortly. Joey followed, but if the hugs he gave Yugi were tight, then the one he gave Atem was meant to kill. The pharaoh groaned in surprised pain, his face turning pale.

"Joey! You are going to kill him!" Tea yelled, apparently finding her voice, "Let him go!"

"But he ow's me fo' goin' away fo' so long!" Joey said, finally letting Atem go, "It's not like ya' can go away n' not tell us anything that happened whi'le ya were away! Tell me! Wha' happened?"

Yugi saw Atem shifting slightly, narrowing his eyes; a death give-away that he was uncomfortable. So he stepped infront of Joey, ready to defend the pharaoh's space. Even though Yugi himself wanted really bad to know what had happened to Atem while he was gone too.

"Hey! No need to get ahead of ourselves," he said, "Atem just got here, let him breathe for a while."

Yugi turned to Atem for confirmation, but this one's gaze was fixed towards the front doors of the school, where a swarm of kids were starting to come out.

"I say we get out of here before anyone from school starts seeing double Yugis and we have to explain anything," Tea said broadly, nodding towards them. The trail of her tears was still there, marked with a thin line of black make-up. Yugi could tell that she wanted to hug Atem again, to talk to him, to reassure herself that he was real… just as Yugi.

And so they started walking without further hold backs toward the Game Shop.

* * *

><p>At first, they walked in a really tight group. Questions poured down to both Atem and Yugi, though Atem was very reluctant in answering them, still not knowing any more than they themselves did. It was strange, this awkwardness among the group, their questions spoken as if they weren't sure of how to talk. But what else did he expect? To be suddenly part of the gang as if nothing had happened? No, if Atem had thought he was going to belong now more than ever, he was in the wrong.<p>

Soon though, and with overreacted hints from Tea's part everyone but Atem and Yugi got ahead, leaving the last two sometime alone.

Atem sighed, relieved that Tea still had that keen instinct of knowing just exactly what other people needed. But then again, he looked at Yugi who had bowed his head slightly, covering his eyes from Atem. They had no idea how to start again. It was as if they were afraid of the other one's presence.

Wait, was Yugi crying? Atem glimpsed at Yugi, wordless. He was about to place his hand on Yugi's shoulder when Yugi's feelings hit him. He was trying to keep his cool infront of him. Atem smirked. He seemed to have forgotten Atem could feel what he was feeling.

Instead, they kept walking silently, Atem knowing that Yugi had to be the one to speak first in order to move on from this awkward second encounter. If only the voice had kept his promise…

It had promised not to touch Yugi or him in any way until the five days were up. Such lying, little piece of.-

"I'm sorry," Yugi whispered, mistaking the raising anger in Atem.

Atem looked at Yugi, who had stopped his aimless walk and was now staring at him. He took some steps away from Atem, making Atem want to shake him out of the state he had fallen into with his sudden appearance. This was exactly what Atem had feared, to see this side of Yugi, unsure, afraid. Still, he said nothing, just watched as Yugi clawed at his eyes, trying to make his tears vanish.

"I'm sorry," he said again, "I shouldn't cry, I should be stronger now that you…" his voice trailed off, though Atem had caught exactly what he had meant. Now that the truth was out, now that they both knew exactly what was going on, they could begin to fix it.

"Crying for someone you missed does not make you weak." Atem said, "the truth was that I was worried that you had not missed me."

There, all the cards were on the table. Even the fears Atem had neglected were out.

Yugi looked at Atem, his eyes widening. Atem knew that he was about to try and reassure him. That that would be impossible, that he would always miss him, just as Atem had tried to convince himself so.

"You didn't cry for me," Yugi said after some thought. Atem blinked. He hadn't expected anything like that for an answer.

"If I cry," Atem said, "then you would worry more than being relieved that I am here."

Yugi blinked slowly, giving Atem the chance to smile. He squinted his eyes at Atem, as if trying to make sense of what he had just said. Atem chuckled, covering his mouth to hide it.

"Well then pharaoh," Yugi said, full of tears again, "I'm glad you are back." He extended his hand to Atem, who took it and shook it firmly. It was official, whether they could or could not communicate in their mind, they were still partners. This was it.

"So…" Yugi started but stopped as Atem's stomach grumbled, making the former surprised. What the name of Ra?

It was Yugi's time to chuckle, his eyes drying fast.

"I think you are hungry," he said, smiling broadly at Atem's still shocked face.

"Hungry?" So that was why his stomach kept hurting? That was why he had been too weak to stand in his first night here in Domino City? It was the same pain, right in the upper stomach... so he had been hungry all along? That was it? Nothing else to it?

"Ughhh. Hello? Earth to pharaoh?" Yugi waved a hand infront of Atem, his eyes worried. Atem smiled, embarrassed and mad at the same time.

"Yes, I'm indeed hungry," Atem said, stopped, and added, "It has been so very long since I needed food that I completely forgot how hunger felt like."

"Wha!" Joey yelled from too close behind, so he had been listening after all. "What the hell! That's one thing ya can't! Food is like the best, most import'nt thing! Just afte' Duel monsters! Did you hear me!"

Atem nodded, unsure. That reminded him, Ishizu and Marik probably were still waiting for him at the Game Shop. He had just run off to Yugi's school when Solomon received a call saying Yugi and his friends were missing. Atem had known something was wrong and had headed straight for the oak tree, leaving the three of them looking after him. They hadn't even tried to follow him.

His stomach grumbled again, this time louder.

Everyone stared.

"Dude! That sounded even louder than Joey's!" Tristan yelled, high fiving Atem who was by now, letting the side effects of hunger begin to call attention to themselves. Dizziness and the excess of saliva in his mouth at the smell of some unknown food to him that was lingering on the air was making his stomach hurt all the more.

"No way tha' sounded louder than mine!" Joey screamed, "I'm like a pro!"

"Well 'pro,' why don't we just go somewhere so Atem's stomach can stop being a threat to your pride?" Tea said. Joey's and Tristan's eyes immediately shined at the prospect of food.

"I say we go to.-"

"Let's go to Burger World!" Tea said, smiling, "Atem will love it!"

"So now you are feeding him American food!"

"It's the closest thing we got!" Tea said.

"Guys?" Yugi called, but everyone was too deep in the argument.

"Some things never change," Atem said, content as Yugi nodded in his way, raising his arms as if to say he had no power over it. Atem nodded, feeling Yugi a bit more at ease.

His stomach growled again.

"I say we go to Burger World now before your stomach takes over," Yugi said, but as he started to walk in the opposite direction, a limo honked besides them on the street, pulling over. Off it came Ishizu and Marik, followed closely by Solomon who gave them thumbs up and pointed to the limo.

"Gramps!" Joey yelled, he turned to the siblings, "Wha' are ya here guys?"

Ishizu nodded towards Atem, but Marik was the one who spoke.

"Well, we heard the pharaoh was coming but he seems to have a tendency to execute plans without telling anyone."

"I thought it was pretty self explanatory where I would be heading after the call from Yugi's school." Atem said, not liking the way Marik was talking to him, as if he was less.

"Marik," Ishizu said and immediately Marik backed off. Atem nodded her way in acknowledgement.

"I am sorry for my imprudence."

"You found Yugi before anything happened though," she said, sighing, "But what was what happened?"

"Well," said Yugi. Atem blinked. He hadn't thought of even asking Yugi that very question, too many things going through his mind at once, he guessed.

"There was a note in the Game Shop's door that said that you were in danger," Yugi said directing at Atem.

Atem sighed, a note?

"What happened to the note?" Marik asked, extending his hand so Yugi would give him the note.

"It burned," Yugi said, "but it had the millennium eye drawn in one of the corners so.-"

"This guy knows about the millennium items," Yugi finished in unison with Atem. They looked at each other, surprised.

"Woah," Tristan said, "Do that again!"

"Do what?" Yugi asked, putting a hand behind his head.

"That thing you did right now," Marik said, "It was like perfect unison."

Yugi laughed nervously, and then turned to Atem, who knew his partner all too well to know he was thinking of a way to say it so it was easy to understand.

"We shared a body for a long time," Atem said, feeling Yugi relieved, "We know what goes through the other one's mind."

"That must be really nice," Tea said and Atem wondered if this was the first time she had said something directed to him and him alone. It probably was. She hadn't been acting like the Tea he was used to.

Atem could feel his stomach shifting, ready to let out one of those growls that compared to Joey's. Thankfully, Yugi was there for him.

"Ishizu, Marik, we were about to go eat something," he said, slightly pointing at Atem.

"Oh! That's right!" Marik said innocently, "Atem didn't get breakfast because he was in a hurry to break out of the hospital."

'Perfect,' Atem thought, feeling a great need to send Marik to a dungeon deep within earth.

"You did what!" Joey yelled. His mouth opened wide.

"You were in the hospital?" Yugi said, eyes full with worry again. Atem sighed, how he had missed that face.

In fact, last time Atem had eaten was… he narrowed his eyes at the question. He discarded the times Yugi had eaten when he was in the millennium puzzle, those didn't count. The most recent thing he had eaten while being in control of Yugi's body, or rather had drank, had been an awful tasting milkshake with Tea the day he re-discovered he was a pharaoh of Egypt more than a year and a half ago… or had it been more? Ra! He hated milkshakes.

"Let's go to my house, there shall be food in plenty for all of us," Ishizu said bringing Atem back from his lacking-food state. He hadn't eaten since who knows how long.

"Yes!" Joey yelled hopping in the limo before they could change their minds.

"Meanwhile, maybe we could get you some decent clothing," Ishizu said, "unless you have grown fond of that one." She pointed at Atem's clothes.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask you why you were wearing those clothes…" Yugi said, grinning, "they smell too."

"He knocked down a few guards in the hospital. Then he stole their clothes," Marik said innocently, "oh, and Kaiba says he won't let you off the legal problems he had to face too easily."

Atem rolled his eyes, noticing the surprised face that Yugi shot him at the action. What did Kaiba have to do? Pay some money to whoever it may concern and get it over with? Atem didn't have time for that.

Everyone got in the black limo, where Atem noticed two red, black and white flags in the front of the car, a golden eagle was in the center of each of them. Atem had seen this before; this was the nowadays Egyptian flag. He sighed, feeling a knot in his throat.

A flutter of wings caught Atem's attention, but when he turned around, there was only a raven that cawed softly and flew away.

* * *

><p>Carelessly, he placed the half-empty beer on the table, where it made contact with several other bottles that fell to the floor, chattering. He didn't care; his attention was fixated on the door. Someone was knocking.<p>

At first, he tried to ignore it, but the gentle tapping did not cease. It was ever so steady that he almost fell asleep. Still sober, the dark-haired one stood, walking slowly to the window he had closed before heading out. He removed the curtains and opened the window, knowing by now who it was who wanted to get in.

As expected, in came the raven in a flurry of wings, perching itself above the door.

"Thus I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing to the fowl, whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core," the dark-haired whispered, quoting a poem he had read not long ago.

The raven stared at him.

"Prophet! Thing of evil!—prophet still, if bird or devil! Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore. Desolated, yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted—On this home by horror haunted—"said the man, observing the stone apparent bird.

The raven stared at him. Inside the mind of the dark-haired one, it spoke.

_Nevermore…_

The young man flinched at the voice… the voice that had taken everything away from him. The raven laughed, but it didn't move.

_It seems that you have been doing your homework… but do tell if I am wrong. A poem gives you no knowledge of what it is important._

"That poem has taught me much more than you think."

_But you did not foresee the next player in this game… you did not… though I must admit that to be received with such beautiful piece of literature delights me…_

"This player, Atem, why did you choose him?" the dark eyed one asked. He needed to know. "He is a fool. He can't do anything to protect the one meant to be protected."

_I might just remind you that the one who could not protect his loved one was you… The new ancient young warrior might just as well be her salvation._

The young man's eyebrows rose unconsciously, how could that pathetic excuse of a player help him save Xochitl? There were a couple of players still alive, and every single one of them could prove themselves better than this Atem.

_You have failed me… you did not kill the kid as promised. She shall pay…_

"No!" the dark eyed screamed, "Don't touch her!" He couldn't believe it! The Dark One could not just kill Xochitl because he hadn't killed Yugi. The Dark One had said nothing like such! It couldn't just end like that.

_But please do not fret for I believe pieces are falling neatly into place. I shall not kill her yet but merely have some fun. It has been long since a woman's body was mine. A punishment for you at the same time…_

The dark-haired one snarled. But the raven just stared.

_I have sent she who will do the job without a burden… blood will be drawn… the Kid shall die…_

The raven jumped from where it was perched and flew through the open window and into the still clear sky with only the rhythmically beat of its wings.

"And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting. On the pallid just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming…" the dark-haired one quoted, grabbing his keys and exiting through the door, making sure the window was closed as to not let The Dark One in anymore.

Then he headed down the hallway of the apartment building, choosing to find the whereabouts of Yugi and Atem by foot. He still didn't know what the voice had meant. He only knew that The Dark One wanted him to be there. Maybe he will have a second chance to kill them off. Maybe he would end up dying himself at the hands of whoever player had been ordered to kill Yugi this time. It was all a matter in how The Dark One wanted it to go.

He wondered if at least Atem had told Yugi and the rest of that gang what was going on, and how they might just as hell be tortured. Just like his sister Xochitl was being tortured right now. The dark-eyed one closed his eyes, feeling the urge to throw himself off a bridge.

* * *

><p>Thanks to the ones who told me whether you wanted the OC to stay or not! I still can get rid of him if the majority does not like him. (By the way, there will be no more POV's of him, unless you ask for them since he is not a main character)<p>

Especial thanks to ll Kairi ll and to DarkHeartInTheSky (I'm sorry but I think my comas were still everywhere :( ) I really appreciate your help!

So if you have any questions, suggestions or whatever you can think of telling me... please do tell me!

The poem that was quoted in the last POV is called "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe (My personal favorite)


	6. Chapter 6

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 6. When the Dark Comes**

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><p>Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! it belongs to Kazuki Tahakashi<p>

Last chapter: Atem, Yugi, and the gang go off to the Ishtar's mansion to eat and talk. Then, the dark-haired one talks to the raven who tells him that someone else and not him would kill Yugi and Atem. Dark-haired one leaves his home in search for them (to warn them? to kill them before anyone else can?)

This chapter is dedicated especially to Quillfeather Nib who helped me with Yugi (mainly) for this chapter and future chapters. I can't stop thanking you.

* * *

><p>Atem tried to hold back at first, using the chopsticks as he had seen Yugi use them so many times before. It was hard to keep the food from falling before it reached his mouth; consequently, it kept falling on the clothes Marik had lent him when they got to the Ishtar mansion. He had not noticed how bad he looked with that police uniform on until he saw himself in the mirror. How shameful most that had been. Even the smell was still lingering on him, making him wonder how in the name of Ra he had not been able to notice it before. Strange, it did not ruin his appetite either way.<p>

Again, he tried to bring the noodles to his mouth with the slippery sticks only succeeding in dropping all of them but one. He looked at Yugi. He was grabbing the pumpkin bread with his hand and biting into it. Atem abandoned the ever slippery soup and grabbed bread after bread, chewing on them briefly before swallowing.

It was one of the best things he had ever tasted in his life, but that was probably attributed at how hungry he was. The way the recently baked bread crumbled under the force of his jaw, the way the flavors awakened feelings long lost to him and, as he began to dip pieces of his bread in the soup just as Marik was doing, he kept closing his eyes, succumbing to the flavor.

He did it until there was no bread left in the basket and then proceeded with something Yugi had called 'egg rolls' before they had started eating. They didn't taste like egg though; in fact they tasted more like vegetables.

His jaw muscles were ailing at the effort of chewing. Atem smiled and grabbed the glass of artificially flavored water, taking deep gulps. He couldn't even pinpoint exactly what the flavor was. It was as if it had bubbles inside, which played around his mouth and made his stomach inflame.

"It's called Coke," Yugi said next to him. Atem glanced at him, still with the glass pressed against his lips, and then raised an eyebrow. Yugi smiled.

"I meant what you are drinking…" he said, pointing at the glass.

Atem stopped his frenzied eating and eyed the glass suspiciously.

"Did you not say that Coke was poison?" he asked Yugi, who laughed and reached for the huge bottle where the 'Coke' had come from.

"That is cocaine," Yugi said, then put some more coke on Atem's half empty glass, "This is actually Coca-Cola but we call it Coke… just like the drug since it used to have it a long time ago. Both of them are called 'Coke,' but this one tastes good and doesn't kill you and the other one.-"

Atem blinked at Yugi, trying to process all the information that he had been given. Why was the drink called the same as a poisonous drug if it didn't have the drug?

Yugi shook his head and turned his attention to the soup, murmuring something about how it was very simple to understand. Atem just drank some more of the Coke, deciding that the good flavor was worth the risk.

Around the low table, only Solomon and Tea had been following Yugi's explanation and now were arguing about why the names were similar. In the furthest side, Tristan and Joey were exchanging some food for another, Ishizu and Solomon watching them with grotesque looks.

Atem sighed; he prayed to Ma'at for this moment to last forever. But if ma'at was justice, then it wouldn't be fair to stop time for others that might be suffering. As if Ma'at had agreed explicitly with Atem's former thought of time not stopping, Ishizu's eyes met his, her face business-like.

"My pharaoh," she said, and instantly all conversations were rapped up to hear what Ishizu had to say. "My brother and I only know that you have come here to fulfill a mission. You must be guessing that we have many questions that need answers."

Atem nodded, feeling Yugi's hand grabbing his arm as if to reassure him from his feeling of discomfort. Of course Yugi could sense his change in mood.

"We want to know exactly why you are here," Marik said, as he entered the room and sat cross-legged beside his sister, replacing the empty basket for a full, strong smelling one. Atem's hand twitched as he stopped himself from grabbing and shoving all of them in his mouth. But the temptation was there.

"Atem," Marik said, his voice firm.

Atem glanced at everyone, convincing himself that the bread wouldn't be stolen by Joey and Tristan. Then he obligated his mind to return to what was important.

He looked at Yugi, wondering how much he could tell them. His enemy was probably hearing them right now, taking in everything that Atem said and did. Everything he said would be used against him, and who knew if he could really trust Ishizu? She was supposed to be a foe, but as he had thought before, she could be a trap laid by the enemy; whether she knew it or not. Therefore, he started slowly, wary even of the vocabulary he used.

"Someone talked to me in the shadow realm," Atem said, regretting his words as soon as they were out. He turned to Yugi, feeling his sadness, but there was a hint of anger, as if he could already guess Atem had never made it to the afterlife. He was probably thinking how unfair it was that Atem had been promised rest and had gotten just the contrary. But then again, his feelings gave a drastic turn and overwhelmed Atem with his concern. There was no time to think how to reassure Yugi now, he needed to tell them somehow either way.

"I couldn't see the owner of the voice, but it obligated me to enter a shadow game." Atem said. He could barely think with his partners feelings drowning him, not that he upheld him guilty for feeling sorry for Atem.

"He said the prize of the shadow game would be Yugi," He saw most of their shocked faces, as if it was new that Yugi was in danger because of him. "He said that I could not leave Domino City, nor enter Yugi's home, and that I had five days before he made his first move."

"Wait," Joey interrupted, "Tho' rules sound stupid… I mean, wha' is it import'nt for ya' no to get out of the city?"

Tristan nodded in agreement.

"Because he does not want Yugi to hide, he needs him in Domino City to achieve whatsoever goal he has," Atem responded the first thing that came to his mind, knowing very well that it might be wrong. But let The Voice laugh at his apparent inability to guess right.

"But Yugi…" Tea said softly, "He has a tournament in Austria in two weeks."

Atem blinked at that, feeling as if he had just been punched in the face. He growled, now knowing that The Voice had planned the rules ahead of time. He had known Yugi would have a tournament and hence decided that Atem was not to leave the city. That would mean he was either expecting Yugi to be left unprotected or for Yugi to stay in Domino City where Atem could be with him. Atem narrowed his eyes, trying to guess his unknown enemy's thoughts.

"Then I won't go," Yugi said, "Right, Pharaoh?"

Atem looked at him, then grabbed a piece of pumpkin bread and cut it in half, "It is possible that that is what The Voice wants you to do; to stay here. Maybe it is safer for you to go." He bit down and chewed.

"The Voice?" Ishizu asked.

"Yes. He never presented himself before me. Therefore, I call him The Voice," Atem said, taking another bite, but the bread seemed to have gone stale. He was sure whatever he decided Yugi should do would backfire him.

"But if I go, then how are you supposed to come with me?" Yugi asked, "I mean, if 'The Voice' wants me to stay with you, wouldn't that be stupid since you would be here to…"

"Protect you, yes," Atem said as Yugi's voice trailed off, "but.-"

A loud crashing noise drowned Atem's response. It came from where the front door to the mansion they were in was. A high pitched scream rose, but it was brutally cut off, leaving a lingering silence.

In less than a second, Atem was on his feet, following Ishizu out of the room with the rest of the gang trailing behind. They sprinted through a corridor that held several Egyptian objects, but Atem paid them no heed. His mind was only revolving upon one thing. This was The Voice's doing. Whatever that scream had meant, The Voice was behind it. They reached the main room, their eyes finding the sin that had been committed.

Gasping on the floor, with a puddle of blood underneath, one of the servants of the Ishtar family was close to death. Ishizu ran to her, kneeling beside her and touching her cheek with the back of her palm. The girl yelped in fright but then began to calm. There was too much blood to know where the actual wound was. Atem set his jaw, trying to calm his rising anger.

"What happened Mia?" Ishizu asked her in a soothing voice, as if the girl wasn't just holding on. It was the same tone she had used with Atem as she told him he was indeed a pharaoh.

"The… I didn't… she took him. She took Odion," Mia whispered, pointing at the door, then screamed, "He protected me and she took him. Don't let them take me!"

Her last statement was more a cry than a voice, but Atem knew what she meant. She didn't mean the one who had taken Odion, but someone much worse. Atem had heard those cries before, so many times, for so long. Someone had condemned her soul to the shadow realm, and now she was battling against it, and as everyone did before her. She was at a loss.

Atem walked toward them, feeling Yugi's eyes upon him. Everyone's eyes were. They knew it had been his presence that had lead to this even though they would never air their thoughts.

He came close to Ishizu and the dying girl. He knelt beside such said girl, watching her as her will to keep the enemy aloof wavered. Atem could do nothing for her now. He only knew how to hurt the ones around him. There was no healing he could achieve to save her from such fate, except one, and that as well might kill her, but if it worked, her soul would not be trapped within the darkness like his was for so very long.

Atem placed a finger on her forehead, opening her mind for him to enter, an intruder.

The girl shrieked. Atem could feel her panic, could feel the concern of his partner behind him, could feel the shadows feasting on the girl's soul.

He forced the shadows back, away from their meal. They snarled and lashed long fingers at him, but he could not fail. He owed it Odion, to Ishizu, to this girl who he barely knew… to Yugi.

The shadows surrounded them with merciless delight. Atem felt them shoving him back, pushing him off the girl's mind and claiming her. It was not working. Atem was too weak. The shadows would win and would take not only the girl, but Odion. He could hear the shadows swearing to that. If he gave up on this girl, The Voice would win.

A thought crossed his mind, or was it a memory? He remembered them… Bakura, Marik… They had become one with the shadows. They had been cheated by the shadows and died. Atem closed his eyes, though the shadows would not disappear. They were inside him and for the first time since the Oricalcus, he willingly opened his mind to them. Maybe Bakura, Marik and so many before them had lost, but would he lose as well?

They entered, finally letting Atem command them to leave the girl alone. They did. They knew something better would come. Atem could feel them rising, lending him power, lending him apparent invincibility. It felt good.

He stood, leaving the girl's mind to fend for itself. At least the shadows were not consuming her anymore; instead they were lingering in Atem, bowing to him. Atem smirked, watching Ishizu as she glared at him. She could have reached to Atem, stop him from whatever was about to happen, but she didn't.

Atem looked at the shattered pottery around, probably from ancient Egypt too. He thought of Odion who he remembered was a man of loyalty and strength. It was foolish for the kidnapper to think she could get away with this.

"You are going to pay for this!" Marik yelled to the wide opened door, airing Atem's thoughts.

"Wait! We don't know who she is!" Yugi called, his voice startling Atem for a moment. He realized how good he felt and knew he shouldn't feel like that. It was the shadows work, he…

Marik ran for the door, followed by Yugi and Joey. Atem rapped up his trail of thinking, using his new found strength to chase after them. He couldn't leave Yugi alone. It was so obvious a trap, and yet, the three of them… or should he include himself? were falling directly on it.

Behind them, Ishizu seemed to come to life. She was barking rules to Tristan and Tea who, Atem guessed, had to quit the idea of chasing after Odion too.

Atem hissed. Didn't she know that it would be easier for him to lose himself to the power of the shadows if there was a lesser audience involved? It was too hard to keep the shadows from hurting. They wanted a feast, a feast Atem had just promised when he opened the door to his mind for them to enter.

But Yugi… Atem looked at the back profile of his partner as he ran. He couldn't give in. He owed it to Yugi… to be strong.

* * *

><p>After a few minutes of running, Yugi was already sweating, his stomach cramping even worse at each and every step. Yet, he sped up his pace, afraid he might lose sight of Marik who apparently knew where he was going. Then again, Yugi noticed the floor and choked up a yelp.<p>

They were following an actual trail. Yugi looked at it, shocked. Whoever had kidnapped Odion was meaning for them to follow and, with what else but with a trail of blood? He tried to neglect the fact that it might as well be Odion's.

He heard Joey and Atem stopping behind him but he didn't turn to face them. Instead, he let out a shriek and was about to start after Marik again when the voice he had grown used to throughout the years reached him.

"Yugi, stop," Atem said behind him, but his voice sounded different. Yugi gazed at him. Joey was a few paces infront of him. He was looking at Yugi with attentive eyes, waiting for Yugi to make any decision that might be needed.

Atem was looking off in the distance where Marik had turned a corner. His breathing was heavy and Yugi found himself surprised at the noticeable bags under his eyes. He had not seen them, had never in fact noticed anything close to it. How tired was Atem? He hadn't even asked him if he was okay after he had touched the girl's forehead. Something had clearly happened. What he had done to make the girl stop her frantic cry, Yugi could only guess. Yet, the pharaoh's eyes were sharp, measuring; there was a light in them that Yugi couldn't quite place.

"It is a trap," Atem said, breathed, and continued, "He wants us to go, The Voice. He has laid down a trap."

Yugi waited for more. Atem usually had more to say when it came to explaining, but his face was that of a man retorted in exhaustion, but not truly exhaustion, maybe even the opposite. Yugi thought about telling him to go back, but no. Atem would never leave him. Asking him to go back would be stupid, especially because Yugi wanted him here.

Atem nodded.

Taking that as a sign of him being fine Yugi started following the trail again, this time slower, wary that he could not feel what Atem was feeling any longer.

They turned the corner where Marik had disappeared. They were still in the suburb where the Ishtar lived. They walked some more, up until the point where they found themselves in a park. Joey grunted behind him.

"This' what I get fo' runnin' right aft'r eating," he said, "Where the hell i' tha' Marik?"

Yugi looked around; the sun was setting. The shadows of the trees and posts in the near basketball court were long. Yugi shuddered, creepy.

"Marik!" Joey yelled suddenly. He ran infront of Yugi who followed close behind. There, hidden by an abnormal shade of shadows, a crumpled body lay. Yugi had not even noticed it before. If it had not been for Joey, he would have walked right by it.

It was Marik.

Joey dragged him out of the denser shadows to a spot where the sun still illuminated rather well. Yugi saw Marik gasping for air, holding his throat as if he couldn't breathe. What could he do? Joey slapped him.

"Joey!" Yugi yelled. The light was leaving them; soon the darkness would be upon them.

"I ain't a nurse Yug!" he yelled back.

"You are gonna kill him!"

"Then what do I do!" Joey said, his voice more stubborn than anguished.

"Let's get him back to the house," Yugi said, hating him for not paying close attention to his health classes. Marik began to cough loudly.

"Hey pharaoh can you please run back to the house and tell them to.-" Yugi halted as he turned around. He gasped, Atem was nowhere in sight.

Night was falling and it already was clear that it would be moonless one; only darkness broken here and there by the street lamps that were turning on one by one.

* * *

><p>The black bird cawed again, this time softer.<p>

Atem followed the sound, walking. He didn't have to run, Odion was either alive or death.

He glimpsed at the bird jumping from tree to tree. It was a big park, maybe a reserve of some type of animal. Ishizu had mentioned something of the likes before their meal.

The trees were becoming much closer to each other. It was becoming hard to walk without tripping over the roots that grew. It was definitely not part of the main park. Somehow, he had entered an area where the underbrush grew freely and the lamp posts far behind were his only light source. It didn't matter; Atem was not scared of the dark. In fact, it should be the enemy the one to jump at every shadow once he found her. She'll pay.

The underbrush became thicker and thicker, up to the point where Atem had to back track his footsteps and use another route. This time, there seemed to actually be a path that he could follow. A path… Atem was falling straight into a trap. And yet, he knew he would be victorious in this cat and mouse game.

After some endless walk, Atem became aware that only the dim light of the city helped him find his way around. It wasn't enough, but the black bird had not left him. It was still cawing now and then when Atem lost his way. He only followed the caw, ignoring the faraway sounds of cars or the louder chirping of crickets.

Finally, the now obvious forest thinned out, leaving him in a clearing. He had no idea where he was. He did not even know that Domino City was near a forest. The clearing was small, illuminated by a fire in the middle of it. A wind blew steadily here, making the fire flicker. Atem shivered at the chill it offered, but he walked forward, making out Odion's body lying near the fire.

"I was afraid you might have decided not to bite the bait," a voice called from behind him just as he reached Odion's side. He was breathing profoundly, a sweet undisturbed sleep.

"You see, I don't like having to chase after my prey all the time," she said. Atem glared at her figure but, since he was being dazed by the light of the fire, she was only a curved shadow.

"Please do tell me you are the one I'm looking for? I feel no need to kill twice a night."

Atem narrowed is eyes, what in the name of nun was that supposed to mean?

The girl walked along the edge of the clearing, studying him from a safe distance.

"You'll be an easy kill," she said softly. Atem smirked, if only.

"Why must I let you kill me?" Atem asked, feeling the brewing shadow's power spiking his adrenaline levels. He must keep them at bay.

"Excuse me?" she asked, stopping her pacing, "I wasn't expecting for you to just give up, but…"

Atem smiled, resting his eyes on Odion. He had to get him out of here before something worse could happen. The girl began pacing again, this time slower; she too wanted to look uncaring.

Atem didn't give her a second glance. He was getting tired of this nonsense. The shadows were edging closer to his desires. If he didn't get out of here, this girl could actually end up in the shadow realm.

"You must be the worst newbie yet," she said. Atem's curiosity instantly showed up. Maybe he could learn a lot about The Voice from her. If she meant what he thought it meant…

"Is there anyone else? Besides me?" Atem asked.

"Besides you?" she said, her voice mocking, "Do you believe you are the only one smartass that has interested The Dark One desires? He only wants you in the game because you might help him get away from boredom for a while. He wants to see your blood being fought over by veterans."

Newbie, veterans… Atem suppressed a gasp. He had thought about The Voice having played before, but now he knew that he hadn't just 'played' before. He was 'playing,' with others; a massive Shadow Game where Atem had been chosen to participate.

"Are you a veteran?" he asked warily, trying not to make her react with violence.

"All those alive except for you are veterans," she said, her voice almost longing, "The last newbie was killed by Ehecatl."

Ehecatl? Atem pondered the word. It sounded like a name, someone who had killed before… someone who had killed someone like him, a newbie.

"Why do you kill each other?" Atem asked his aggressor, "Are we not supposed to be in the same side?"

"Side?" she chuckled, "There is no 'side,' unless you want the one you are meant to protect to die."

The one meant to protect… Yugi. Atem growled deep, turning to face the woman.

"If you touch him…"

"Do you see why we can't have sides?" the girl asked, "How do we know if anyone was promised something by The Dark One if they kill the loved ones from another player? We can't… to survive, everyone must die; you and your loved one, the kid Yugi Mutou."

Atem held a growl, his eyes widening at the fact that he had left Yugi alone. If something came upon Yugi while he was gone he wouldn't know what to do. He would go mad. There was reason in the girl's words. If 'The Dark One' could promise something desired by the players such as the safety of someone they care for, they would obey him without doubt. The girl seemed to sense her verbal victory, for she smiled.

"And so we can't trust anyone. You know too much now and because The Dark One always chooses those with the sharpest minds, you are now a bigger threat. You and everyone will die."

Something snapped inside Atem. He could feel losing himself, falling… he was falling.

Atem smirked at the girl.

"Tell me, do you like games?"

The girl's shape stiffened. She knew those words.

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><p>Hope you enjoyed!<p>

Especial thanks to Yangu Fuyu, Youngbountygirl, and Darkheartinthesky! Thanks for inspiring me with this chapter! (Thanks to all who reviewed!)

Suggestions? Reactions? Questions? XD Please do tell me!


	7. Chapter 7

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 7. Red light/Green light**

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Tahakashi. Shakesperean quotes belong to Shakespeare.

Last chapter: Odion has been and the gang mobilize to the rescue, following a trail of blood, they find Marik convulsing in a nearby park. Yugi and Joey decide to take him back, only then realizing that Atem is no longer with them. In fact, Atem has began following a raven and upon entering a clearing in the forest finds Odion near a fireplace. The kidnapper turns up and Atem challenges her to a Yami No Game. Could it be that the pharaoh has lost his mind?

Enjoy!

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><p>Only the wind blew, allowing the fire to dance and cast flickering shadows throughout the night-stricken clearing, the crackling of fire singing to the rhythm.<p>

Atem's smirk did not cease as the seconds became minutes. He knew the situation was now in his control and this poor enemy of his had already lost the battle. It only came down to decide whether she would join the shadows or not.

In the back of his mind, Atem registered some troubling thoughts, but he couldn't make sense of them. Why should he not make the girl pay if it felt so right? But for now, he had no desire to concentrate in anything but the details of the rules of the coming game. This girl had promised to kill Yugi. If he let her go, she would hurt him. She had killed before. She would kill again.

Yet, his opponent was still. Unmoving, half-hidden in the shadows at the verge of the clearing she stood. Atem had neither an idea of what went through her mind nor the ability to care. He could feel his patience wavering as she made no move towards him.

"A game?" she asked finally, her voice lacking fear.

Atem's smirk became a grin. He had her.

"Indeed," Atem said, "A Yami No Game to be precise."

It annoyed him that he couldn't see her well enough to know how she was reacting. It was hard to know what his next words should be since he did not know whether she was scared or amused. People who had no idea of what he meant would show amusement, but her… he didn't know her.

"If you win, I will willingly give you my blood and will not get in your way any longer," Atem said, "If I win however, you will never hurt anyone and will leave."

The girl's figure came to life and she withdrew a blade which caught the light of the fire, burning red.

"A Shadow Game," the girl snarled, "Was this your plan all along! I must say it is an honor to be in your fucking presence, Oh Dark One! I accept your game, and when I win, I will be sure to make your death slow. I will see the light disappear from your eyes!"

Surprised at the nonsense of her words, Atem tilted his head. He was no murderer but what she was saying was completely different from the actual situation. She was the one acting as if Atem had laid a trap of his own. As if he had promised to kill whatever she cared about the most and not the other way around; it did not matter.

"Very well," he said knowingly, "The game is simple. It is possible you know it. It is called 'Red light, Green light.'"

"That is a little kid's game," the girl said, "I saw them playing in the park some months ago… it's stupid."

"In that case it should be easy for you," Atem said, looked around, and continuing, "As you know then, in this game, one person will be the stop light, in this case myself. As I face away from you, I will say 'green light,' which will allow you to move towards me."

"I know this," the girl said, but Atem ignored her.

"If I say 'red light' and turn around and you are still moving, you will lose."

The girl crossed her arms, but they were trembling slightly.

"And if I get to you without getting caught, I win?" she asked, "Start facing the fire right where you are standing and we have a deal."

Atem nodded and looked around once more, then turned to face the fire.

"Yami No Game."

The wind began to blow harder, but Atem didn't feel the chill run up his spine. Instead, he felt hot, his face burning with the closeness of the fire. Here and there the fire began jumping, sparks nestling themselves among the dried grass that was the clearing. They didn't die.

"Green light," Atem said, and after no more than a few seconds, "Red light."

He turned around. His opponent was still in the shadows, or not. Atem's eyes narrowed as if that would allow him to see better. The light of the fire had dazed him. He could barely see at all. He saw no movement.

"Green light," It was ironic to say such words, since what he was watching was red when he turned, bright red. It had been foolish to accept these terms. Now he could not see even if his opponent was moving. It might very well cost him the duel.

"Red light," he turned. The shape of the girl was closer, or was it not?

"Green light."

"Looks like you realized the failure of your plan?" She asked, her voice rising, "You can't see me, no matter how close I come to you. I have already won. Whatever you see will be too dark! Just like the shit that must be your soul!"

"Red light," Atem turned and the girl stopped her ranting. She was right. Atem couldn't see. He could only tell that the shape of the girl had shifted away from the sparks that were now showing signs of flames themselves. If only they were brighter. He ignored her last comment, deciding it to be useless.

"Green light," the change of light hurt his eyes.

"Red light," he turned. She hadn't made a move but he flames to his right were stronger. Soon they would be as hot as the main fire, dangerous too, and givers of the light he needed to see the enemy.

"Green light," the wind shifted sides, this time towards Atem, who covered his eyes as the flying sparks burned the back of his palm and the smoke began to enter his lungs, choking him.

"Red light," he turned around, coughing. Now his eyes were itching, watery. He could barely keep them open. The shadow of his opponent had disappeared completely; infront of him was only darkness, just as if he was trapped in the shadows once more. And why wasn't he trapped? Was he not playing a Yami No Game after all?

"Green light, red light," he was hoping to trick her, but the girl was invisible to his eyes. Atem could not even hear her foot falls. They should be making the dry grass and leaves crack underfoot, but the fire's noise had risen, making it impossible to rely on hearing any longer. Then, he realized what she was doing. The sparkles of the fire were already fire themselves, illuminating the clearing, soon nothing would be concealed in it. She knew it, too. There was no need to keep on speaking if she was truly doing what he believed she was doing. He covered his eyes, keeping the smoke off them with a hand, trying to hear even the slightest of sounds above the hissing of the flames.

"Green light," Atem said.

There! To his right, the girl was coming closer to him, yes, but it wasn't from behind. It was from where the shadows in the clearing were their deepest, to his right.

"Red light!" Atem called, his voice at the verge of screaming. But no! The slight footsteps kept coming closer to him. He couldn't see her and barely could hear her, but he knew that she was crawling towards him, keeping herself as invisible as possible. Atem grinned, but he said nothing. She was cheating. Therefore, she would lose.

The flames rose into the sky, reaching some of the nearby branches, making the leaves sizzle. Soon, the forest itself had caught fire and the darkness succumbed under the flames.

Atem gave a ninety degree turn and saw her, but not before he had heard the sudden war cry escape from her throat; she was coming for the kill, and still he had not said 'green light.' Atem dodged out of the way, feeling the blade he had seen before slicing the skin of his arm. He muffled a scream, his adrenaline quickly taking over.

He saw the girl reaching for him, saw her long hair swirling around after her, passing through the main fire and catching in flames. She shrieked as her hair brought the fire to her back, eating viciously through her clothes.

"Damn you!" she screamed to Atem, falling to her knees, "Make it stop! Please!"

Atem smirked.

"You have neglected the rules of the Yami No Game," he said, smelling burning skin and hair, "You walked when you were supposed to stand still. Hence, you will receive a penalty game."

The girl shrieked in pain, doubling over, her eyes were two perfect imitations of black moons. In a few seconds, she was consumed in fire, a still living torch. Atem could not help but wretch at the now implacable smell. He was beginning to take notice of the lack of oxygen, of the fire burning out of control in all directions. He was trapped in his own game. His coughs became louder, the smoke replacing his air.

"Over here!" a voice called to him. It sounded familiar but Atem could not quite place it in his mind. He was feeling lightheaded, his body too hot to make sense of anything. Marik's pants caught fire… Marik… that reminded him; Odion! He had to get him out of here.

He fell to his knees, barely making out Odion's body laying a couple of feet away from him. Atem got close to him, but instead of dragging him away, he fell beside him. He couldn't keep going. If only the heat would leave. If only he could breathe. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the pain he now felt on the leg.

"Fuck it! That's going to hurt!" Atem heard the voice again, this time closer. It was only an illusion, "Get up you bastard! We have to leave!"

Atem felt hands trying to drag him, but he held on to Odion's body. If someone was to be saved, then it would not be him. Odion had a life that awaited him. Atem had… He opened his eyes, Yugi was counting on him. The hands stopped pulling him. Instead, he felt a touch on his head.

Some words were whispered, the rhythm into which they were spoken was familiar, yet unknown. The crackling of fire fell to the background, and the radiance was consumed by darkness. Soon they were falling. Atem tried to breathe again, but winced as the air became cold, too cold, feeling him with pain that was not truly physical.

It lasted an eternity, and when the darkness finally opened itself, Atem hit concrete floor, his lungs finally filling with the fresh air of a normal night in Domino City.

* * *

><p>His lavender eyes traveled to the window of the waiting room, but he didn't see what he wanted to see. He sighed.<p>

"Ain't no worries Yug," Joey said from behind, passing him a glass of water, "Atem kno's how to care fo' himself."

Yugi shrugged, getting up and pacing the room. This couldn't be real. First, Atem had been beside him as if he had never left, and now, he had disappeared. Maybe it had just been a memory after all. Maybe Atem had never come back and they had imagined him sitting in the same table and eating the same food. He felt tears swelling his eyes. He should be looking for Atem right now, but Joey had stopped him from going back to the park.

"Yugi…" Tea whispered. She was sitting on a chair beside Ishizu, whose eyes had not left the door in which Marik had disappeared with a swarm of nurses surrounding his restless self.

"Joey is right, we need to believe in the pharaoh," Tristan said, his fingers wrapped around an express coffee, "He probably got lost either way. He'll pop out soon enough."

Yugi nodded and smiled, only to make them believe they had gotten his hopes up. They didn't swallow the lie, but none of them had many words to lift his spirits with. Yugi sat down on the couch again, closing his eyes, trying to reach Atem through the mind-link. He couldn't even feel the link. It was as if it had broken, dissolved. Yugi shuddered at the idea of never knowing how Atem was feeling. Could Atem feel his worry now? His despair?

He placed his head on his hands, trying to reason it all. Atem couldn't leave just like that. He just couldn't leave like last time. Yugi would not let him.

A doctor came out to the waiting area. He directed his voice towards Ishizu, who was already standing up, hope clear in her eyes.

"Marik will be fine. He is in shock but he'll be fine," the doctor said and then addressed everyone else, "If you are not family, I will recommend you to leave and get some sleep…"

Yugi sprinted for the exit, narrowly missing being captured by Joey.

Once outside, he looked around, disoriented.

"Yugi! Hold on!" Tea yelled behind him.

"I need to find Atem! Something bad happened to him!" Yugi yelled back, his heart pounding hard as horrible thoughts crossed his mind, "Don't stop me!"

"We ain't gonna stop ya Yug," Joey walked towards Yugi placing a hand on his shoulder, "the pharaoh is ou' f'iend too, we'll fin' him togeth'r."

Yugi smiled, this time, a real smile. He remembered the day when he had wished for friends to the millennium puzzle. What would he have done without the pharaoh there for him?

* * *

><p>Atem stood, still gasping for air.<p>

"Then again, sometimes I'm proven wrong," a voice reached his ears, the same one he had heard just minutes ago.

"Not that I get most wrong," he said. Atem wondered of what he was talking about, but said nothing.

He gazed around, relief washing over him as he saw Odion lying at his feet but breathing; a trickle of blood was running down his half opened mouth. Atem needed to get him to the hospital now. They were in a desolated parking lot, the street lamps hovering above them in a way that Atem had not one but several shadows coming from his body. In the faraway, Atem could make out huge buildings but anything else was concealed in the night.

Whoever had been talking moments before was now silent. Atem could feel his eyes on him, watching and taking notes of who he was.

"Show yourself," Atem said, but his voice was forced. It carried no strength.

"Is that an order?"

Atem's eyes traveled to where the voice had come from, high above his head. He used a hand to block out the excessive light of the lamp post, and squatting there, in the highest point, the dark-haired one stared at him. Only a shadow he was, but Atem recognized his outline.

"The quality of mercy is not strained* is it?" he said, shifting to where one of his legs was dangling, "Mercy is something you seem to keep under locks."

Atem said nothing in return.

"Well then?

"Your words are nonsense, just like the ones from the one who lost the Shadow Game against me," Atem said, feeling anger slowly replacing the tiredness that had befallen him. The dark-haired one stared.

"You killed her," the still mysterious man said, his voice calm, "You killed her merciless, even after your talk of peace between the players. You are a liar."

Atem growled at the statement.

"I will not ask twice, show your face," Atem said.

"I like to look down upon you as the filthy rat you are," he said, "Answer me. How can you kill and still talk of peace!"

Atem took a few steps back, trying to make sense of the words. He had killed her because she had cheated on the game, nothing else truly had mattered. The fact that he had asked her about taking the same side was because he wanted her to tell him what was going on. Why it could not be possible to trust anyone even if they shared a common enemy. And then, she had sworn to kill Yugi and the rest… and he… he…

Atem fell to his knees, the weight of his deed nestling itself on his shoulders.

He had promised to follow whatsoever Yugi thought right all those years ago. Killing was definitely one of the things he must not have done under any circumstance; he had cheated Yugi by letting him trust him and now, there was no turning back. Atem hit the floor, feeling a dim pain rise in his knuckles, but it compared not to what he was feeling inside. He should have stayed in the shadows where he belonged instead of the girl's soul.

"And thus 'you' clothe 'your' naked villainy*," the dark-eyed one said, jumping from where he was and landing neatly on his feet, "I was there when you killed her, 'O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!'*"

"She was going to kill Yugi," Atem said, "I could do nothing else."

"I have killed many more than she has," the man said, taking out a dagger of his pocket, the same dagger the girl had been carrying, "It becomes a way of living; I can't hold you against it without having to judge myself too."

"Then why don't you kill me?" Atem asked. Yugi would not miss him once he knew what he had done. He was more a danger to them than anything else and yet, he would have to die three times before finally being condemned to the shadows.

The dagger fell infront of Atem, clacking against the concrete floor. Atem looked at it, then at the man.

"Why would you try to kill us this very day, but now that I will do nothing to protect myself, you lay down your weapon."

The young man chuckled.

"I was following orders," he said, "I was promised something in return for your hearts."

Atem blinked, still kneeling on the ground, "Why have you changed your mind?"

"It was not me who changed my mind, it was The Dark One's decision," he said calmly.

This was it. If Atem was not meant to die tonight, then at least this was his chance to ask all the questions he could not answer himself. He sent a prayer to Ma'at, pleading that this savior of his would not lie in order to get away with what he wanted.

"Who is this Dark One?" Atem asked warily.

"I speak with no rats," the dark-haired one answered, "If you want answers then do not give me your neck for me to cut. I won't waste any explanations of someone who has already given up the war."

Atem stood, his body had grown stiff and his mind was in turmoil, but he had to know in order to keep Yugi alive.

"Tell me," Atem ordered. The man waved away the tone of his voice.

"The Dark One is the one who started the whole thing. He's the host of the game as he likes to be called," he said, "there is nothing important anyone knows about him but that he tends to recruit new players when the game begins to slow down. Most of the newbies are killed off within days of their arrival though."

"Why?" Atem asked, trying to appear relatively sane.

"Because The Dark One promises to give us prizes if we kill them," he said calmly, his face unwavering, "If we kill them, we get more time, free time where he will not touch us; we might even get second chances upon our failing."

Atem nodded.

"We know too that he can call shadows forth to shape them into a game. He calls them the shadow games," the man said, "That is why the girl thought you were The Dark One and decided to play your game in hopes of beating the main game once and for all."

Atem nodded again but this time, he could feel a sharp pain in his heart, as if the dagger had truly penetrated his skin and was now stabbing his soul. She had thought he was the antagonist; Atem had killed her because of a misunderstanding. He was no better than The Dark One.

"No one but The Dark One and I could control the shadows," the man eyed him, "until you came with the same ability as The Dark One; games… to murder through games."

Atem narrowed his eyes, the information slowly sinking in.

"Why is it that you don't think I am The Dark One?" Atem asked.

That left the dark-haired one thinking, but soon he had an answer.

"I have heard HIS voice. I have heard him talk of death and pain He likes seeing his players killing among each other, stepping in would not be one of his choices." His voice sounded so confident.

The wail of an ambulance in the distance attracted Atem's attention.

"Took them well enough, those damn ambulances," the young man said, "Take care of your loved one. Don't lose him like you did today."

"What about your loved one? And the girl's loved one?"

"My loved one is of none of your concern. The girl's you will take care for because you feel guilty of killing her protector off. Good night to you. Let's hope we meet again as friends and not as enemies. Remember, I do not talk to rats."

The young man started to walk off, leaving Atem in the shadows of his own crime.

"Your name," Atem called, "give me your name."

"Ehecatl," the dark-haired one said, "the winged serpent, from the Aztec's reign, and you are?"

Atem played with the idea of not answering, but decided against it.

"Atemu, pharaoh of Egypt."

"A pharaoh? Interesting."

The ambulance was soon upon them.

* * *

><p>Thanks to all those who sent me feedback last chapter!<p>

Questions? Suggestions? Reactions? As I have already stated, they can only make me a better writer and nothing else.


	8. Chapter 8

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 8. The Pharaoh**

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi

Last Chapter: Atem has killed another player with the power of the shadows he thought he could control. Before he could die in the midst of the flames, Ehecatl decided to step in and transported Atem and Odion to a deserted parking lot. He tells Atem that there are not only one but several people playing the game of The Dark one. Ehecatl leaves Atem, who can barely withstand what he has done to the girl. An ambulance arrives to take them to the hospital.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>His feet ached. He could feel his legs throbbing at every step, warningly.<p>

"Yugi…" Joey said, his voice cut off by a yawn, "I ain't think Atem is 'round he'e. We've been look'ng foreve'."

Yugi ignored him, keeping on walking through the rich sub-division. His eyes were intent on every moving shadow, anything, as if a cat might tell him where his partner was. It was the fourth time they had walked through this area, infront of the Ishtar's mansion and its surroundings. The firefighters would not let them get near the park though.

A hand gripped Yugi firmly by the shoulder, forcing him to turn around. He looked up as Tristan shook him back and forth gently, but it was enough to make his thoughts fly around in all directions within his mind.

"Yugi, we've been looking all night," Tristan said, "Just look at you, at us. We can barely stand. We need to rest."

Yugi took a step back, finally paying attention to his friends. Tiredness was reflected in their eyes as they closed unwillingly from time to time. The way they were breathing slightly through their mouths also talked volumes of their state. Yugi gazed into the distant horizon where a pink sky had began to appear, partially covered by the smoke of the wildfire in the distance.

The fire… it had not been there last night when they had found Marik in the park. No, it had started after they left for the hospital without Atem. Yugi squinted his eyes. From here, he could barely make out the flames that rose up through the black cloud that was the smoke. There was no evidence that Atem might have had anything to do with the fire and yet, deep down, Yugi knew that Atem had been there when the fire began.

He started off toward where the fire was, a new surge of adrenaline going through his veins. He would have to slip unnoticed by the firefighters, but he could pull it off as he searched for Atem. What if Atem was trapped in the fire? What if he hadn't been able to.-

Yugi halted both his walk and thoughts, he couldn't think of that kind of thing. Atem was fine, had to be.

Tea's cell phone rang; an annoying happy tune.

"Hello?" Tea asked into the phone, "Yes? We're looking for him. No, some firefighters stopped us from going into the park. I don't know. Wait what?"

The rest of the gang just stood there, frozen in place as they tried to catch but a word of what was being said in the other end of the phone.

There was a sweet breeze that brought the smell of burning wood to their noses, making their eyes itch. It all contributed in making Yugi feel as if time was running out.

Tea's eyes lit up. She smiled.

"Yes, of course! We'll get there as soon as possible!" she said, or rather chirped into the phone before hanging up and looking at everyone, her exhaustion seemingly gone.

"It was Yugi's grandpa; he said Atem was in the hospital and that he was resting," She said. Yugi let out a sigh of relief, a tear escaping and running down his cheek. Atem was fine.

"Then wha' are we wait'ng fo'!" Joey said, smiling wide, "Let's get the' now!"

Yugi nodded widely, unable to trust his own voice. He had been so sure Atem had been caught in the fire. At least he had been wrong.

"They sent someone to pick us up," Tea said, "We're supposed to meet them at the entrance of this sub-division."

"Then let's go," Tristan said and started walking off in the direction Tea was now pointing at. Soon, everybody followed, an argument upon who would eat what of Atem's hospital food breaking out between Joey and Tristan.

Yugi tried to appear interested in their argument, giving some comment here and there, but apart from that, he kept quiet. Atem was fine, but then again he was in the hospital 'resting'… why?

* * *

><p>They waited for no more than a few minutes, but it was enough for Yugi's mind to start racing once more. He could tell there was something they had not been told; something to do with Atem's state. It worried Yugi and, as the sun finally showed itself in the horizon; he could not tame his thoughts any longer.<p>

"Yugi, he's fine, don't worry," Tea said besides him, "Grandpa said he was only resting."

"Resting of what?" Yugi asked, looking at Tea. He could see she was wordless. Sighing, Yugi returned his attention to the sky, watching as the smoke became denser. A feeling of dread and longing was brewing inside him. Maybe Atem had not been in the fire, but then again, the fire meant something Yugi could only begin to guess.

"Please tell me that's our ride!" Tristan yelled, bringing Yugi back from his fears as he pointed excitedly at a limousine that had just turned around the corner. It wasn't bearing the Egyptian flag as the Ishtar's usually did. This one instead, carried no flag.

Once it was close enough, it stopped and out of it came a man in a black suit. He walked around the limo opening the back door for them.

"I was sent by Mr. Kaiba to take you to the hospital," the man said.

Yugi blinked, ' Kaiba?' How did he know Atem was here? No, better yet, why was he helping them? Shaking his head slightly he decided to figure it out later. Right now, he had to get to Atem and be sure that he was fine.

Quietly but quickly he hopped into the limo, nodding at this man in a way to say thanks. The man nodded back and gestured the rest of the gang to follow. They did, but not before eyeing the supposedly driver up and down several times.

Outside, the sky was heavy with smoke.

The driver turned the car on. Consequently, a melody began to play in the stereo, calm and sweet. The man turned it down but, as they drove off, the melody echoed through Yugi's head over and over again.

"I can't believe a fire started in the middle of the night!" the man said, "Outrageous! I mean, they are making almost the whole community evacuate because of it! Can't they control it already?"

"They will probably have it under control by midday," Tea mumbled, looking out the window, "It's just… a wildfire."

Yugi sighed, realizing how Tea had reached the same conclusion as he had about it being more than it seemed.

"Why is Kaiba helping us?" Yugi asked, trying to ignore everything else.

"Well, your friend… what's his name? Etem?" the man began, "Well someone called an ambulance a few hours ago and they took Etem and another person to the hospital."

"Etem?" Joey asked, and then yelled, "It's Atem! Not Etem ya fool!"

"I'm deeply sorry Sir," the driver said, an annoyed hint on his voice, "Maybe you want to walk to the hospital instead of being here?"

Joey mumbled something under his breath but said nothing more.

"Well, 'Atem' was taken to the emergency room when he got there. I didn't see him but I heard some doctor say that he had a second degree burn on his leg and a wound on his arm, I think."

Yugi could feel himself going pale… a burn?

"Tea you said he was fine!" Tristan yelled.

"I did," Tea said, anger in her eyes, "That's what Grandpa told me!"

"Well he told you wrong!" Tristan snapped.

"Guys! Relax," this time, Yugi was able to speak out, "We can't change the fact that Atem is… hurt, either way. If we fight among ourselves, then it will only make things worse."

"Yug's right guys," Joey said, "let's not fight ove' th's. It ain't worth it."

* * *

><p>The bright sun fell upon his face. He could feel it warming his bare skin.<p>

"Rise my son Atemu," a voice ordered, "Do not lie down among the enemy now."

Atem opened his eyes, searching for his father. But the glare of the sun against the endless dunes of sand in the distant dazed him. It made him remember the fire, the Yami No Game. How long had it been since he had killed that girl? Minutes? Days? Years? He closed his eyes again, letting the guilt consume him.

"Rise son of mine, heir to the throne, pharaoh of both lands, restless spirit" his father said calmly, brushing his hand against Atem's forehead.

Atem's eyes fluttered open once more, but above him was only Ra against a deep blue sky. Sitting up, he gazed around; he was in a simple courtyard where women appeared to have been brewing beer but moments before. Now it was deserted. There was a small pond to his right where flowering lotus lay, bathing themselves in the heat and freshness of the water. If Atem had to guess, this was a noble's courtyard, though the structure of the buildings had a taste of a foreign influence, maybe Greek.

Atem stood, taking several steps in the direction of the pond. His foot ached dully, a faraway pain that had nothing to do with him. Once at the verge of the small pond he knelt and reached for one of the white flowers, but before he could get his fingers around it, something else caught his attention.

Reflected on the water, a kid with tricolored hair gazed back at him through sedentary eyes. Atem reached for the kid, touching the water's surface. The image wavered. A hovering man walked behind the kid but when Atem turned around, his father was nowhere in sight.

"Father…" Atem muttered watching as the former pharaoh placed a hand on his reflection's shoulder. Atem could feel the hand on his own shoulder and yet, he was alone.

"Father," Atem started, his words getting caught in his throat, "Am I dreaming?"

His father nodded curtly, but he neither smiled nor spoke.

"Father, why have the gods forsaken me?" Atem's voice carried through the courtyard, echoing strongly and reaching his own ears again, "Why am I not part of your world? Am I being punished?"

The man behind the kid said nothing to this but instead, knelt beside the prince and reached for the lotus flower Atem had been aiming to get. This, he placed into the reflection's hand. Atem could feel his father opening his fingers and placing the lotus flower there. He brought his hand up to see if the flower was there, but while it was in between the fingers of his reflection, it was not in Atem's.

Atem looked at his father, understanding that what was important was not him but the reflection before him, a kid. He placed his hand on top of his father's hand in the reflection, feeling the heat radiating from his body.

"Atemu, are you forsaken? Is it that you prefer to walk among the death than the living?" his father asked.

Atem lowered his gaze.

"You are alive my son. Do you not remember what alive means?"

Atem stared into his own eyes, the question eating at him.

"Am I really alive father? Or have I died and still walk among the living," Atem said, closing his eyes, "I have killed because I could not control the shadows within me. I am no more but a vessel to pain and sorrow."

"And yet you have taken upon yourself to protect Yugi Mutou. You protected Egypt too, giving up the afterlife and freedom in order to seal away the evil."

"I did not do it on my own, father; the priests help me," Atem answered, "Without them I would have lost my way."

Atem opened his eyes but in the pond there was only him, not a kid anymore. He could see the courtyard through his image as if he was not truly there. He wondered if this was real, even though he already knew the answer.

"How can I help Yugi, when I cannot help myself? I am a killer," Atem said, hitting the water's surface to make his image disappeared, but instead of water, his fist met sand. He stood, startled. Now, there was only sand around him, never ending dunes in all directions. His father stood beside him, a sick man that should have been in his chambers, just as he had been those last months of his life.

"The past is in the past Atemu. You above all should know that by now," his father said, "The evil that you have met but days ago might be strong, wise. Do not forget who you are my son."

Atem looked up at him, except he wasn't there anymore. In the distance, he could see the Valley of the Kings. He could pinpoint exactly where his father's body had been buried, where he himself had been buried.

"You are Atemu, son of mine, heir to Egypt, forever the pharaoh, savior… The King of Games… Not a murderer."

Atem set his jaw, watching as his whole life in ancient Egypt flashed before him; the day he had been crowned pharaoh of both Lower and Upper Egypt, the day he had seen his father's mummy being dragged into the palace by Bakura, and even the time where he had given the crown to priest Seto after his official death.

"I am Atemu," Atem said firmly, "I am the pharaoh of Egypt. I bow today to stop The Dark One in order to protect those around me. I am Atemu! The one who will thresh The Dark One's game apart!"

When Atem finished, he was breathing hard, but his voice was being carried by the wind to the stretches and deepest corners of this his dream. He had bowed to protect those that needed protection long ago; it was time to live up to that promise.

* * *

><p>When the limousine finally stopped infront of the so known hospital, Yugi was the first one out.<p>

He raced toward the door, barely evading a collision with a doctor as they simultaneously tried to enter the hospital. Then again, as he avoided the doctor, a small kid with dark brown hair happened to be standing infront of Yugi. Both of them were instantly on the floor, Yugi on top of the boy.

"I'm soo sorry!" Yugi heard Tea exclaim behind him to the little boy, "Are you okay?"

Yugi felt himself being pulled from behind to an upright position by Joey and Tristan. Tea was already beside the boy who was in turn, glaring at Yugi. His eyes were lacking something, but Yugi could not quite place it. They were just cold and measuring.

"Can you stand?" Tea asked, making a move to help him out.

The kid shoved her hand aside ruthlessly, standing up on his own, his eyes never leaving Yugi's. As he stood, Yugi couldn't help but notice how his arm was covered in bloody bandages. Tea seemed to notice this too.

"Oh my," Tea said, and grabbing the kid by his hand she started off in the direction of the receptionist, "Let's go find your parents. Joey, call me when you find the pharaoh."

The kid immediately jerked his arm back, "Don't touch me!"

"Hey! Tea is only trying to help you little piece of.-" Tristan said walking over to the kid. The kid's eyes widened slightly at what must have been a giant to him, but he kept his cool, only taking a few steps back. Then, he turned to Yugi yet again, observing him up and down as one would look at an animal.

"You are Yugi Mutou right?" the kid asked, his voice was childish but there was a hint of knowing in it, as if the kid wasn't truly a child.

"Yeah…" Yugi nodded, "Why?"

The kid tilted his head to the side, walked over to Yugi, and looked into his eyes. Yugi took a step back, looking around to see if anyone would claim the kid and take him away or something.

"What is the person that looks like you called?" the kid asked, unblinking.

Yugi started. The kid knew about Atem? But Atem was supposed to be… he wasn't supposed to be known by anyone else. Unless of course…

"Do you know where Atem is! He's supposed to be in this hospital!" Joey yelled, grabbing the boy by the shoulders.

Yugi could feel hope rising and beating against his chest, maybe Joey was right and the kid had only seen Atem in the hospital.

The kid only brushed Joey off him and then placed a small scrawny finger on Joey's lips as if to hush him.

"Atem," the kid said more to himself, "I wonder why The Dark One didn't kill him when he had the chance…"

Yugi could feel his eyes widening. He was sure 'The Dark One' was the voice Atem had heard in the shadow realm. How old was this kid anyway? Three? He was talking about death!

"Wha' do ya mean with tha'! Atem's fine!" Joey yelled at the kid standing right beside Tristan.

"There he is! Catch him!" a voice carried across the room, interrupting whatever would have happened.

In the blink of an eye, the kid had scurried away, dodging away from a nurse that tried to catch him and running for the door. A cop reached the door first though, and the kid was forced to make a ninety degree turn in order to not being caught.

Yugi stood in place, nailed to the ground. Who the heck was this kid? He watched as the child grabbed two cups of hot coffee from the coffee machine and threw one to the closest nurse. She screamed at the contact.

Soon, Joey and Tristan were also chasing after the boy, but what normally was their strength had become their weakness. So big were they that the kid was able to slip in between their legs without getting caught. He raced once more towards the door, making gestures as if he was about to throw the now empty cup of coffee to the cop in the entrance. The cop dodged immediately out of the way, allowing the kid to exit the room, but not before he turned around and said,

"The Dark One told me that Atem was good at games!" he laughed, "Tell him that I would like to play one of his already famous games with him in the future!"

Then, he was racing across the parking lot with several cops giving him chase.

Yugi just stared, his eyes wide. He tried to make some explanation for this, but his mind wouldn't cope with it. Play a game with Atem? No! Atem didn't play any more of those 'games.'

But the seed of doubt had already sprouted. It whispered in Yugi's head, 'Does he not?'

* * *

><p>Thanks to everyone that left feedback last chapter! I believe chapter 7 is one of my personal favorites so far.<p>

ThiefOfHearts: I wish I could have PM you for your review but since I couldn't, here is my response. I am working on my changing scenes so they don't seem so confusing :P. Sadly, I read your review too late so I had everything written down, but I will keep an eye in that kind of thing next chapter. I too thought Atem was rather a weakling when he got himself caught in fire... hopefully this chapter makes up for that in some way or another. Thank you!

If you want this fanfic to become better, please don't forget to tell me what you think can be improved and any questions or reactions you might have had while reading!


	9. Chapter 9

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 8 Mistakes**

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, it belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

Last Chapter: Yugi has finally arrived to the hospital, and after having to deal with the strangest of kids, he is allowed to enter Atem's hospital room after having talked to Kaiba. Once in the room and with a 'drugged' pharaoh passed out, he himself falls asleep on a couch. (last part was not written down, but it is pretty self-explanatory as you will read)

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>x<p>

The man walked along the hallway of the hospital toward his victim's room, yawning now and then between sips of his express coffee. The clothing he had chosen fitted him perfectly. He even had taken the liberty to make a name tag so that no one would ever guess he wasn't a true doctor.

It had been worth it; to just come in, asking the receptionist of the whereabouts of this player. She had not doubted him of not being a real doctor, and therefore he was now walking here. He had never killed another player before, but it didn't worry him. In fact, he was looking forward to kill this so called king. To think The Dark One would truly bring back her beloved Charlotte if he succeeded.

It had been years since the day of her death, murdered inhumanly by the right hand of The Dark One, Ehecatl. That piece of shit who believed himself better than anyone else just because he had the time to search and study all of the other players.

Yes, that's how she had been murdered; backstabbed by the bastard. He had known all there was to know about Charlotte and him; how they would go every Tuesday to the coffee shop a few blocks from where they used to live, how they would talk about their retirement when this whole game was over. Hell! They had even believed Ehecatl was on their side! And then, Charlotte's blood was everywhere, her skin as pale as if it was but fragile paper.

He reached the door to the room where his prey was resting. The paper the receptionist had given him said that he had been found in a deserted parking lot with second degree burn and a knife wound. He didn't bother to see the name. It would only make it all the harder as he blew the hopefully sleeping victim's brains up.

Placing a hand on the door knob, the man felt a shiver run through his spine. He had imagined himself over and over again killing this newbie from the moment The Dark One had given him the task. Now, he was not sure he could ever be able to do so.

"You don't have the guts," a voice said down the hall.

Startled, the man wrestled with his belt to free the gun, pointing it at the source of the voice, but Ehecatl just stared at him, unafraid. Even from here, he could smell the alcohol that came from this son of a bitch, maybe that would give him a better chance to kill him. As if being drunk had ever stopped Ehecatl. He was just as dangerous either way.

"I should kill you right now," the man said, a profound hatred rising to the surface, "I should make you dog food for what you did to my dear.-"

"It was you who killed her. I barely served as the gripper," Ehecatl stated, "You know that as well as I do."

The man could feel his chest burning, if only he could shoot him now, be over with the pain. Ehecatl took a step towards him, then another one, a grin playing along the tip of his lips. The man's hold on the gun began to waver.

"How few there are who have courage enough to own their faults, or resolution enough to mend them. *" Ehecatl said, his eyes slightly narrowing as if he was reading the words he had spoken. He had said something similar the day he had murdered Charlotte.

"You don't own the courage. If you have had it then, I would have been dead long ago. Those inside that room would have died too," Ehecatl said.

"I will kill them" the man said, his fingers turning the knob. He would have to enter the room and be quick before he could rethink his actions.

Ehecatl leaned against the wall, watching him.

"You won't kill them. If you open that door, Atem will wake up and, as soon as he sees the weapon, you will be nothing but dust," Ehecatl said, a smirk fully shown in his face, "If you wish to try your luck though, I won't stop you. Hurt them, and you will join your loved one in the darkness."

The man pushed the door open, shooting without aiming, but as he noticed with the morning sun filtering in the room, he knew he had committed a fatal mistake. The room was empty.

"Interesting how after believing I was your foe and losing the one you were meant to protect because of me you still gave me your back." Ehecatl whispered in the man's ear.

Gasping, the man tried to get out of the way, but Ehecatl was quicker. He felt as the dagger entered his back, not only slaughtering him like a pig, but threshing the last of his hopes. The Dark One had promised to bring Charlotte back if he killed this Atem, had promised that Ehecatl would not be in the way. And yet, the man fell to the ground. Had his wife felt just like this? It didn't even hurt.

"You see, this player you want to kill is important to me," Ehecatl said, "He might be one of the most important players we have had yet, and I am not willing to lose him when he can barely stand."

"You bastard," the man hissed under his breath, but his own voice sounded so very far, "You want to kill the newbie all by yourself do you not?

The verge of the man's vision began to obscure, he coughed; blood spurting out. Charlotte…

"Whether I kill Atem or not, you will not know," Ehecatl said, his shape blurry, "but if you want to know what I believe, it is that Atem might be strong, or he might just be a bluff; that however, you will never be able to know."

* * *

><p>x<p>

An army of men and women in fire hissed as they kept coming closer and closer, burning it all; their motions intent on the path ahead. Infront of them all, Atem walked, his features hidden by shadows. Yet, instead of his body blending with that of the army, he withstood, a dark spot in a raging light.

Atem raised his arm, pointing at a certain point in the fire. Within the army, there was movement, and soon, a girl screamed in agony as her body burned.

Yugi's eyes shot wide open; breathing hard against what he now knew had been a nightmare. Atem had been leading those people somewhere; he had been in charge of everything. And when he had pointed at that girl, she had…

Shaking, he sat up, unable to push the nightmare off. Instead, he looked around.

He was now sitting on a small couch in a hospital room, the one they had moved Atem into after being in emergencies. There was a warm morning light filtering through the thin silk-like curtains that partially hid a window, giving the small room a feeling of comfort. Besides the window, there was an unmade bed. On the other side of the window, Atem was sitting on a chair, shuffling Yugi's deck continuously, his gaze distant. He vaguely remembered having placed that said deck beside Atem's sleeping form, as if hoping that the cards would give him strength.

The truth was that Yugi couldn't even remember falling asleep on the couch. In fact, he could only remember half of what Kaiba had been telling him when they finally made it to the emergency waiting area at seven in the morning. He had said something about having to deal with Yugi's honor as a duelist and therefore the honor of Kaiba Corp. He too had mentioned something about a naked Atem running around without a leash being a thing that would most likely get in the way of Yugi's honor. Something along those lines either way.

Atem yawned, but his hands never stopped shuffling. Yugi wondered if Atem liked the new card that he had added to his deck. It was only one. The rest of the deck was still made of the cards that Yugi and Atem had collected throughout the years. Most of them, now in the main deck that Atem held, had been those used in the ceremonial duel, almost a year and a half ago.

Slowly, as if not to disrupt his partner's concentration, Yugi lay down again, comparing this flesh living Atem to the one inside the millennium puzzle. Only the steady rise and fall of Atem's body as he breathed kept Yugi wary that Atem had his own body and was not only a projected image in Yugi's own mind and, that if he thought too loudly, Atem would be able to pick up his thoughts.

Atem shifted positions, crossing his arms as he leaned against the back of the chair. He had placed the deck on the table; his eyes were unwavering as he stared at it.

"Aibou," Atem said to Yugi, "forgive me for worrying you so much."

Yugi blinked. How long had Atem known Yugi was awake?

"It's okay," Yugi said without thinking, but then again, it was not okay, "What happened? You disappeared! I mean, I had no idea of where you were… I…"

Atem looked at Yugi, who in turn held his gaze, trying his hardest to appear confident against his inability for words. For a moment, Yugi thought he caught a hint of insecurity in his partner's eye, but it was gone before he could do anything about it. Instead, it was replaced by a sad smile.

"I am sorry Yugi," Atem said again, standing and walking, or rather limping towards Yugi, the deck once again in his hands.

Yugi watched his slow coming, eyeing the bandages on Atem's arm and the ones he had gotten to keep the burnt leg safe from outside infection. Finally, the pharaoh stopped infront of Yugi who had stood up in the meantime.

"You were in the fire, weren't you?" Yugi asked. It could have been a statement.

"Yes," Atem said, "Yugi, will I ever be able to find your forgiveness for what I have done?"

"What do you mean?"

Atem seemed taken aback by the question. He opened his mouth as if to talk, but closed it again, his gaze wondering to the deck in his hand. He pulled out the top card of the deck and handed it to Yugi.

"The dark magician?" Yugi asked in awe, recalling how Atem had shuffled the deck over and over again. Yet, he had pulled both their favorite card so easily.

Atem nodded.

"I promise you Yugi, upon Mahad's soul, that I will protect you," Atem said, "And that I will never hurt anybody as I hurt her."

The Dark Magician card slipped from Yugi's hand, but he was able to catch it before it hit the ground. He looked at the card's image, an image that was imprinted in his own soul. He didn't need to ask, he knew who 'her' was. The wound on Atem's arm had made it all too easy to guess. A wound made with a knife… in the middle of a forest; burned foot, in the midst of a fire, the sadness in his features, the hope for Yugi to forgive him.

He then remembered the kid he had met as he came in the hospital. His words… saying that he wanted to play one of Atem's 'famous' games.

He felt his eyes swelling, what had Atem done to the one who kidnapped Odion? Maybe it was nothing; maybe Yugi was just jumping to conclusions without a reason. He closed his eyes, wishing he knew exactly what went through Atem's mind, the knot in his throat trapping any sound he might have been able to mutter.

"Yugi… please," Atem said, "I was too weak. I was confused and thought that I could control the shadows."

Yugi inhaled sharply, control the shadows? That had been what Marik had tried to do, and look what had happened! He said nothing, knowing that the same trail of thought was running in Atem's mind.

"Yugi."

"I can't believe you tried to control the shadows," Yugi said, "after what happened to the others… why did you do it?"

Yugi lifted his gaze, startled at first when he saw the hurt in his partner's eyes, the sorrow. Had he had thought the shadows were the only way out?

There was a knock on the door. Soon after, it opened, letting in a young cute nurse in the room who blinked at them, her mouth parting open as if in shock.

Yugi sighed at the untimely visitor. It seemed that there was no way he could talk to Atem. He wondered if he would ever have a conversation with Atem again, not the type of conversation they had had right now, but those talks that they used to have when they were both bored or trying to figure something out. Those times seem so very far away.

"I… I am sorry, but I have to change Atem's bandages," she looked from Yugi to Atem and back to Yugi, "Are you twins by any chance?"

Yugi and Atem blinked. So that was why she was looking at them like that. Managing to act a chuckle, Yugi remembered what Kaiba had told him that he was supposed to say.

"Yes, we are."

He could see Atem looking at him, one of his eyebrows raised.

"But… you are Yugi Mutou," the nurse seemed to not be able to understand this, "I am sure my daughter would have told me Yugi had a twin. She's a huge fan you see."

Atem crossed his arms, a dead giveaway that he had no intentions of saying anything or could say nothing to second Yugi. It was fine, Yugi had the perfect story.

"We were separated when we were born so we didn't know that we had a twin," Yugi said, recalling Kaiba's words, "A couple of days ago, Atem was mistaken for me and so Kaiba Corp had to save him from this one problem. That's how we met."

The nurse nodded, her eyes flickering from twin one to twin two.

"So I take it as you being Atem?" she asked, pointing at Atem, "You two are just so similar!" She giggled.

"I know," Yugi and Atem said in unison, and then looked at each other, "we know."

The nurse's mouth fell open at the sudden answer from both of them, "That is weird… I wish I had a twin!"

She started rambling about wishing she had someone she could trade places with every now and then when she got annoyed. Yugi only gazed at Atem, who was now looking very annoyed himself. Would they ever be able to talk to each other and say the whole truth again?

At some point, the nurse stopped talking and looking at her watch she gasped.

"I have to change your bandages Atem! I'm already behind schedule," she said, gesturing Atem for him to sit on the bed, "Yugi, I need you to go out to the waiting area. In fact, I think, your grandpa? is waiting for you there."

Yugi smiled and headed outside, catching a glimpse of Atem as he went. Outside, he hustled down the hallway, trying to outrun his fears. He took a right, pushing the door of the men's restroom open and meeting eye to eye with the dark-haired guy that they had seen a few days back under the oak tree.

He was washing his shirt on the sink but as he saw Yugi, he closed the faucet and grinned, his cheek stained with drying blood.

"I see that Atem has left the bird out of his cage," he said, "and the cat has found it limping once more."

* * *

><p>x<p>

Atem flinched as the nurse rubbed some lotion on his ankle, biting his tongue as to not show any pain.

The nurse was still talking. Not even after Yugi had left had she stopped her rambling. It just went on and on, a never-ending vomiting of nonsense. Atem sighed, lying back down on the bed, wishing that this woman would just go away, and Yugi would be able to return.

As if Yugi would return just as such. After what he now knew, the chances for Yugi showing himself in this room soon were slim, almost nonexistent. It was what Atem deserved though; for Yugi to never talk to him again, to be left alone.

Suddenly, the pain he was feeling was not enough. In the least, he should be suffering to death. He had killed, and yet, Yugi had forgiven him, but he would never forget. Atem had seen it in his eyes, and that was the most painful thing; to be forgiven when you must not be. Atem should be dead… dead, just as he was before. A restless spirit…

'You are Atemu, son of mine, heir to Egypt, forever the pharaoh, savior… The King of Games… Not a murderer.'

He could almost hear his father's voice from afar, whispering, trying to make him rise just as he had done in the dream. Except, Atem WAS a murderer, and he was not the king of Games anymore, that name was for Yugi alone. Not him.

He closed his eyes, praying to Amun, god of creation and oldest of gods, asking him the same questions he had asked his father. Why was he not among them? Why was he not dead? No, better yet, why had his soul not been devoured by Ammit?*It was foolish to think his soul could be lighter than a feather's.

Atem chuckled; it was either that or screaming in despair. How many times had he gone through this same process before? His father had said it was foolish to 'sleep among the enemy…' but then again…

Atem gasped, sitting up in such frenzy that the nurse yelped in fright.

"I am sorry, please lie back down, relax," the nurse said, gently helping Atem to lie down, "I will get more painkillers once we are done. There was a problem in the hospital this morning and so it's possible that the medicine you were given has lost its effect."

It was not the pain of the burn. No, it was what his father had told him. He had been too busy thinking of how Yugi might react, on how he was a killer, that he never realized in how much danger Yugi was in. He was a fool. If he could not clear his mind of all distractions, then he was less than useless. Something had happened. He could feel it now. Yugi had not made it to the waiting area.

"Sir, please, lie back down," the nurse said, but Atem paid her no heed.

Instead, he stood. The bottom part of his foot had not been burnt, but it seemed not to matter. The pain arose, much worse than he had expected, making him shriek.

For a moment, he almost lost his footing as the weight of his body increased the pain on his foot. The nurse helped him get his balance back as he leaned dangerously sideways and tried to lead him the few steps back to the bed, but Atem refused, limping his way to the door.

"Atem! What are you doing! You can't leave!" she called after him grabbing him by the arm and dragging him back, "You have to stay IN bed to get better and.-"

Atem turned around, gazing deep into her soul, trying to make the shadows play around with the nurse's mind. Only a shrug, as one might say, to her soul, nothing too dangerous.

The nurse's eyes filled with terror, but only enough so that Atem saw the girl he had killed reflected in them. He looked away as the nurse fell to the ground with a thump. She was not dead, but Atem could not guarantee her sleep would be a nice one.

Heavily limping, he headed outside, wary of the people he passed in the hallway. None of them seemed the least suspicious, but Atem couldn't be sure.

He turned a corner and there, infront of him, Ehecatl was leaning against a wall, the dark magician held in one hand.

He grinned at Atem, a grin that Atem recognized very well. This man, holding Yugi's card, was drunk.

* * *

><p>x<p>

*Quote: Bejamin Franklin

*Ammit: monster that ate your soul in ancient Egypt if your soul happened to be full of bad deeds upon your death. In other words, it would eat your soul if you are a bad person. (really interesting by the way)

I really hope you have enjoyed this chapter!

Remember to leave feedback so that I may be able to notice my mistakes, the things you do not like, or maybe the things you liked and wish to see them happen!


	10. Chapter 10

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 10. Rat**

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

Last chapter:While being drunk, Ehecatl killed a man that had been on a mission to kill Atem. Then, Atem tells Yugi that he was in the fire, that he has killed the girl but Yugi is unable to say much before a nurse comes in and sends him away. Away from Atem, Yugi runs into Ehecatl and then is seen no more. Atem realizes something is wrong and goes in search for his partner, but he only finds Ehecatl, carrying The Dark Magician.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p>X<p>

Ehecatl's grin did not leave his face, even after Atem's apparent fragile body had proven strong enough to pin him to the wall; a waste of time since Ehecatl would not have even tried to escape this so called 'king.' It would have been useless. But then again, the grip of the tricolored man was indeed very strong, either that, or he was pretty weak. He laughed; knowing that he should not have drank those last beer bottles. Of course, he should not have taken Yugi either.

Atem's fingers dug into his skin, a razor like hint radiating from his eyes. A funny scene if you kept in mind who here was the newbie. Oh! And who was taller. He laughed all the harder, feeling a wave of pain on the pit of his stomach as Atem shoved his knee at him. Groaning in pain, he saw the world spinning around him, or spinning faster that was. He chuckled and coughed and chuckled again.

"Where is Yugi! What have you done to him!"

The words of the razor-eyes man seemed too far away for him to grasp, an echo maybe. He felt renewed pain as he was kicked on the side, obligating him to turn around and gaze at Atem, or two Atems… he couldn't quite place who the real one was. He smiled, pointing at the raging man.

"What for should tell you I?" Ehecatl asked him, uncaring at the moment on whether his words made sense or not. Far from where he thought he was now, he could see the whole scene playing as if it was a movie.

Atem was now pinning him to the ground, the dagger of the girl who Atem had killed, the same one Ehecatl had used to murder that morning, pointing at his throat. A man with a weapon and a reason to murder, Ehecatl knew, was unpredictable. And yet, Ehecatl smiled. He couldn't help it, it was just too ironic.

"I will not ask you again, where is Yugi." Atem's voice was now a snarl, threatening and in was not screaming. Had he seen fear in Ehecatl's eyes? Fear of dying? It was the same tone he had used before getting the girl in the game that had killed her.

"I told you," hiccup, "Not to lose Yugi from your sight," Ehecatl said, an attack of hiccups threatening to come.

Atem glowered. Ehecatl knew he needed to leave now or die. If what he had investigated of these shadow games testing your abilities as a thinker was true, then he was at a lost.

"Silence yourself! I do not wish to hear anything but the answer to my question!" Atem yelled, giving Ehecatl a good shake as if he was a giant, not a skinny, weak man. It was now or never.

Ehecatl twisted his body, bringing down with him a surprised Atem. Then he kicked twice, one missing the target and the other one finding it. Atem fell to the floor, gasping and reaching for his burnt ankle. It was a dirty trick, but there were no rules either.

Ehecatl stood, giving a few steps and feeling how his stomach churned. He swallowed the need to vomit, using the wall as to not fall and started off. Soon, he could hear Atem following. Too late, Ehecatl used the last bit of his sanity to envelop himself with darkness and transporting himself to his apartment.

There, he fell besides the unconscious Yugi Mutou on the floor, a sharp headache starting. This was definitely not the time to have a hangover.

* * *

><p>X<p>

Atem leaned against the wall, watching The Dark Magician as he stared back at him, a knot in his throat as he fought off the need to scream in rage. That had been his only chance to find Yugi yet again. He could do nothing but wait for a miracle. No, in his experience, miracles took forever to show themselves, three thousand years waiting to be awaken had proven just that.

Slowly, he pushed himself off the wall, limping heavily towards the nearest window. Behind him, he could hear someone coming; hiding was what he had to do first. Then, he would have to find a way to track Ehecatl down. He held on to the dagger he had taken from Ehecatl's belt, knowing that he should at least have hurt him enough in order for him not to run off. He would have run away either way, it seemed that this Ehecatl was either in charge or would be a coward.

As he had expected, there were fire-stairs outside this very window. Atem sighed, taking no more than a few seconds to open the window and slipping outside with poor grace. Once there, he looked around, slightly surprised to find a wall of another building across from the staircase. Underneath, an alley.

With the help of the railings, he made his way down step by step, gritting his teeth together while trying to ignore the ailing. With pain or without it, his mind had started to formulate a plan on how to stop Ehecatl. If only he knew where to find him.

He crossed infront of another window where he could see a long endless hallway, but it would be foolish to go back in when he was already outside. He kept on going until he was standing on flat floor.

He gazed around, steadily.

The two buildings that made up the alley seemed similar, and too clean to ever be street alleys. Atem walked towards the entrance of the place. There, he narrowed his eyes as he realized how both buildings were actually part of the hospital, probably connecting underground right where Atem was. He sighed, walking back into the alley, There had to be something he could do to get out of there without being noticed.

_Long time no seen, dear ancient young warrior…_

Atem froze.

_I understand your pain. I myself did not expect to have to deal with his betrayal at this point of the game…_

Turning his head from side to side, Atem searched for the owner of the familiar voice inside his head. There was no one except… the same raven that had guided him through the forest and to the clearing where the girl had been waiting for him. It was perched on the stairwell, staring with black tiny pearls.

_You see, the winged serpent was not supposed to commit what he has done. Stealing the one you are meant to protect, among other things… He has failed me…_

"Ehecatl, the winged serpent, was he under your control?" Atem couldn't help asking, he was talking to The Dark One, main culprit of all that has happened, he was the only one who had the answers.

_You are said to be wise. And yet, here is another example of how narrow minded you have been acting. Pay attention, for I will only say it once. Everything and everyone involved in this Shadow Game are under my control. _

Atem was about to retort to that, but it was true. There was nothing he could say in anyone's defense; it was clear what The Dark One would ask something of him, and Atem was in no position to refuse.

_I, however, am a very understanding being, for I shall make a pact with you that you shall not rebuke…_

Atem set his jaw, wondering what he would be putting at stake.

_The mission is simple. I shall help you find the winged serpent. You shall kill him…_

There it was. Of course he would want Ehecatl dead if he was not following the rules, and Atem would be the way to do it. Narrowing his eyes, trying to stop himself from accepting too soon, he decided to pull some strings.

"I can find Ehecatl on my own, and I do not need to be told to murder him, I will," Atem lied.

_Indeed, I stand corrected then. He has taken Yugi Mutou from you; it is only right for you to kill him._

Atem nodded, wondering why The Dark One would ask him to kill Ehecatl if he believed Atem would do it either way. There had to be something Atem was missing.

_Of course I am no fool, I will still help you find him but what is it that you want? I know what it is but hearing you plea is delightful… _

"I will kill Ehecatl in your name, only if a new rule is applied to the game," Atem said, "And do not tell me that the rules cannot change, I believe you have already changed some, right?"

_Waiting five days for you to get situated when you first started proved rather boring, speak you mind now…_

"My rules are 'simple,'" Atem started, turning his ideas in his mind in order to find any loopholes to them, "You told me just now that I was not as wise as you thought. Well then, I do not know how many people you have brought into this game, but I believe they are less important than me in your eyes right now."

It was a big shot, to state himself to be the best of the best.

"You too told me that I have three lives and if I lose one of them, I would be gone from this world for two days. Well, my rule is that when I die, I shall be gone from this world for fourteen days, two weeks."

_That is foolish… why do you wish to leave Yugi Mutou unprotected for so long?_

"When I die, you shall accompany me to wherever my soul will be on those fourteen days," Now for the kill, "surely you are no coward upon leaving your players lose for a while? Or might you be scared that when you come back they will be too strong?"

_I repeat, foolish! Why would I ever do that? I do not see how that might help either of us…_

Atem grinned.

"Because if you do not, I will kill myself three times and you will lose the opportunity of me serving your goals."

Silence. If the Dark One mentioned Yugi getting killed because of that, Atem's plan would fall into pieces.

"That is my rule, for you to spend my fourteen days dead with me, in the shadow realm."

_I see no reason… there is no reason but for you to give Yugi Mutou enough time to be able to participate in the world Cup in Austria… I see no importance… _

"That is for me to deal with," Atem said, smirking openly as the raven screeched in apparent hatred, "Should we close the pact?"

_In that case, only if and only if you kill Ehecatl before anyone else does, I shall agree to your twisted rule… And yet again, I do not promise to not change my mind upon agreeing to the rules…_

Atem nodded, it did not matter. The Dark One had already too much to think about with what Atem had said, unable to scrutinize for details.

"Let the shadow game begin," Atem whispered. What the voice did not know was that by allowing Atem to change the rules, he had given Atem outmost importance to the game. He was no longer 'one player.' He was the one who had changed the rules.

He was a host to this game now, a creator. The Dark One would not be able to change the rules now for Atem would have to agree upon it; such was the way of the shadows. Complex, and yet, Atem had thought it all as he went. Loopholes would be a problem if they presented themselves, but they could be dealt with.

_I had__arranged for someone to meet you on this very spot some time ago, but it seems that he might be running late… I do hope you have the patience to wait for your guide to Ehecatl's whereabouts…_

The raven cawed twice, rising flight and away from the alley, only a black mark on a cloudless sky, unaware that Atem had just grabbed the reigns of where this game could lead.

* * *

><p>X<p>

He waited… There was no time to waste and yet, here he was, sitting on an outer staircase without anything to occupy his mind but reruns of his life. Some time ago he had given up on the fact that he could be using this time thinking up a better plan, but if he kept looking for better ways to do what he was planning to do, then the main idea of his plan would be lost. He had to avoid getting worried about details; there were too many factors to be able to control every single one of them.

Atem remembered the time he spent with Yugi too, all those moments where he had been awestruck at how forgiving he was. No mattered what happened to him, he always found a way to see his aggressors as foes and not enemies. On the other hand however, Atem would never forgive Ehecatl for what he had done. Never. To take Yugi away as he was unable to protect him, and still, for this plan to work, he would have to trust that man. The man that could have had as well already killed his partner was going to be the key to his still developing plan… Atem only knew that he would promise Ehecatl to help him protect the one he was meant to protect. But, how would Atem trust him? He prayed for Horus to protect Yugi.

He heard a couple of footfalls to his right, but when he turned to see if anyone had come into the alley, there was no one. He kept watching though, knowing by experience how a couple of footsteps could be easily followed by a trap if not taken seriously. No one made himself visible.

"Show yourself," Atem said, "I will not harm you."

More footfalls, Atem narrowed his eyes.

"I want to see you try and harm me," a high-pitch voice reached his ears, childish like, "Ever since you played with the girl in the forest I've been wanting to play with you too."

"How is it that no one has told me the name of this girl?" Atem asked, curious, but mostly in order for the 'kid' to keep talking. What was it with everyone he met nowadays that talked to him before Atem had seen them? It was getting tiring.

"I don't know it," the high-pitched voice said, "I don't think anyone knew it, not even Ehecatl who normally knows everything from everyone."

Atem gritted his teeth at the name, Yugi's face before he left the hospital room crossing his mind.

"Is Ehecatl well known among you?"

"Yeah… that fartheaded guy is always getting in your business and is, or was, one of the favorites of The Dark One," the voice said, Atem was almost sure it was a kid.

More footsteps followed. Atem would have face-palmed, but then again, there was no time. The 'kid' had been under the staircase where Atem was sitting, out of his vision. How he had managed to sneak there without Atem noticing was a story for another time.

Now, the kid had walked into the open, a kid of no more than four years old, of course appearances could be deceiving. This kid had been speaking as if he was ten.

The kid crossed his arms, watching Atem who was too, only staring at him.

"What's your name?" the kid asked, "I hacked into Ehecatl's computer, but he hasn't searched anything about you so far."

Atem stood, hoping that this word 'hacking' was not important to know. Computers were such useless complex things.

"My name is Atem," Atem said, "give me yours."

The kid tilted his head, "Rat. That's how I'm known here."

Atem frowned, wondering if the kid was messing with him, but one look at his face told him he was being serious. He nodded.

"Very well Rat, guide me to Ehecatl."

Rat did not move as Atem made his way slowly down the stairway again.

"What's the plan," Rat said, giving Atem the idea that he would not like this kid at all, "I'm guessing Ehecatl took Yugi Mutou. It makes sense. But The Dark One did not choose you and me to play in this game because we were unable to think something that might help us in the future… soo… what's the plan."

Atem set his jaw; he did not like this kid. Of course he knew The Dark One had chosen them because they were intelligent and able to give off a good fight. He had probably picked them out from many more candidates.

"The plan is to kill Ehecatl and get Yugi back," Atem said shortly, "Let us go."

Rat stayed put.

"You are hurt and are wearing a hospital gown, how the hell do you think you are going to be able to slip past the security?"

"You brought me cloths and painkillers," Atem stated, gazing casually at the backpack Rat was carrying. That was why he had taken so long. He needed to be sure Atem could get away from here.

Rat's eye twitched. This was going to be the start of a beautiful friendship… not.

The kid reached for his bag, bringing forth dark clothes which he threw to Atem.

"I couldn't find any men's underwear by the way…" Rat said, taking out a granola bar and chewing on it.

Atem sighed, deciding it was better to not wear undergarments than to put on the string-like thing that was among the clothes. He put on the pants, took of the gown and slipped in the black T-Shirt with some unknown logo infront.

Carefully, he stuck the dagger in the belt the kid had too given him. The Dark Magician he held on one hand, worried that it might wrinkle if he put it on his pocket.

After he was done, Rat gave him some medicine and water which he took warily. Soon, the pain on his foot was dull, still painful but bearable.

"Okay then," Rat stated, grabbing the underwear and the hospital gown and shoving it into his backpack. Atem blinked.

"How old are you?" Atem asked as they started walking innocently out of the alley.

"Not sure. Should be four or five…" Rat said in his squeaky voice, "How old are you?"

"I don't know," Atem said sincerely.

"A couple of thousand years I think, right? I can tell that by the way you speak," Rat said.

"Around three thousand," Atem said, "What about you?"

"Already told you, four or five. This is my time period time. I was born here, In a laboratory actually," Rat said, offering one of his granola bars to Atem, "Hungry?"

Atem grabbed the bar, eating it quickly, thinking that the kid might as well be altered genetically. They passed some policemen who did not even seem to acknowledge them. Not five minutes afterwards, they were already walking towards what Atem believed was Domino's downtown.

"How do you know where Ehecatl lives?" Atem asked, not really caring to know the answer. His mind was already going through his plan over and over again. If Ehecatl had done something to Yugi, he would pay dearly and Atem's new investment in the shadow game would be useless.

"I followed him once there when he was drunk," Rat said, "He's one of the best in The Dark One's game… except that when he is drunk, he IS drunk."

Atem nodded, half-hearing.

They walked through small streets, obviously avoiding the overcrowded ones, or maybe it was in order to not being spotted by someone Atem did not know.

"I don't get why people worry about other people, I mean, either way, they are going to die," Rat said in his childish voice, "Everyone is on their own in this world, why would The Dark One threaten to hurt others in order to get Ehecatl and you to do his bidding? It's stupid."

Atem was taken aback by this. He could tell the kid a lot of reasons why he would die for Yugi, but this kid could use that against him. Maybe he was small, but he remembered himself at that age, how everything, as silly as it might have been, could let him guess a lot more than others wanted him to know..

"If you are not protecting someone, then why are you playing this game?" Atem asked, hoping to get some useful hints himself.

"Isn't it obvious?" Rat answered, "If The Dark One dies, I will inherit his powers, I was promised that."

Atem eyed the kid, unable to help himself from marking him a future threat.

* * *

><p>X<p>

Thank you for reading!

And there is Rat, a four/five year old kid who was born in a laboratoy and was genetically altered, thus explaining his intelligence.

Please do tell me if the chapter was confusing (there was a lot of dialogue, which I am not used to write, and I tried to shorten the explanations of what Atem's rule to The Dark One was in order to not bore you). If it was too confusing, I will be sure to clarify that next chapter, but I can't fix it if I am not told.

Any other suggestions, comments, thoughts, reactions, questions... be sure to tell me so that I might become better.


	11. Chapter 11

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 11. Ailed Lies**

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, it belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

Last chapter: Yugi has been kidnapped by Ehecatl and upon knowing of this, Atem rises to the rescue. As he escapes the hospital (again), The Dark One speaks to him and offers him something in return if Atem killed Ehecatl. Using this opportunity, Atem requests the rules of the main Shadow Game to be slightly changed and says that if he dies, he would remain 'dead' for fourteen days instead of three and that The Dark One would have to accompany him throughout that time. Finally, he meets Rat, his guide to where Ehecatl might be keeping Yugi.

Enjoy!

x

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><p>x<p>

The day seemed to drag, minute after minute, hour after hour, and yet, they were still walking on the back-streets of Domino City. Atem sighed, gazing at his guide once more. He could barely believe he was following this kid, almost a baby, through dark corners full of what should have terrified a kid the age of Rat.

A scrawny, filthy cat ran past them, hissing wildly as it went. Rat did not even flinch. Instead, he kept walking in the way small children do, tumbling from side to side as if they were about to fall at any given moment. Ra had already passed his highest point and was now descending, casting shadows that danced.

"So have you always had your powers over the darkness?" Rat asked.

Atem remained silent.

"Fine then, I was only trying to make a conversation to pass time," Rat said, leading them into yet another alley, where he lay down on the floor and crawled his way into a storm sewer.

"This way will be shorter," Rat said behind him, completely disappearing from sight, "I bet you are skinny enough to fit."

Atem's eyes narrowed. He was not going to go in there, and nothing would make him change his mind… Sighing, he followed; praying for protection against any type of traps this kid might have had laid down for him.

Slowly and holding his breath for a moment, he copied the kid's actions and slipped into the drain. At first, he thought his shoulders would not make it through, but once he was able to get them inside, he only had to wiggle his waist for a moment or two in order to get past the narrow entrance.

His first impression was that of the darkness. Then, a powerful odor entered his nose, and he doubled back, gagging. His thoughts momentarily falling apart.

Rat turned on a light, and offered it to Atem.

"You'll get used to it," he laughed, "Not really. Let's go before the rats find us."

"Rats?" Atem asked, once again, falling in step with the child as they walked, covering his nose with the neck of his shirt.

"Huge fart-like rats; ate one of the players up when he tried to kill me down here," Rat said, "They hate intruders. Luckily, they know me."

That was a very nice thing to know. Atem glanced around, almost making out those huge, monster rats that Yugi once mentioned lived in the sewer systems. It was not that he was afraid, just that he was wary of the unfamiliar scratching noises here and there.

"Ehecatl lives in an apartment nearby in the southwest side of downtown… there used to be another player living there I think. I don't know what happened to her though," Rat said, again with his attempts for a conversation.

"Tell me more about this Ehecatl," Atem said, deciding it was worthless to remain quiet when he could be learning as much as he could, "When did he start playing."

Atem coughed, talking itched his throat. He wondered how Rat could manage it.

"Not too long ago, a year or two…" he said, stopped, asked, "Why are you not worried about Yugi Mutou? I mean, he might as well be dead."

"He is not," Atem said, unsure of why he was so sure Ehecatl had done nothing to Yugi. He knew Yugi was not dead. He could feel it, deep inside. This was the right thing to do. He knew it as well as he knew what card to play in order to eventually win a duel monster's game. And as it always was… the stakes were too high. He wished he could talk it over with Yugi. Forgiving was his partner's specialty. Would Atem be able to forgive Ehecatl at the last moment?

"I wouldn't trust Ehecatl, especially when he's drunk. He just can't control himself," Rat said, "He has never allowed any of his prey to survive."

"How many has he killed? And how?" Atem asked.

"I do not know, though I know he backstabs most of the players he kills," Rat said, signaling to an opening where the light filtered into the damp place, "We get out through there."

They were close now. Atem chose his next move before Rat could give another step.

"I need for you to stay here Rat," Atem said.

Rat blinked at him. Then, his features became serene, a man's and not a child's.

"I won't repeat it again. What is your plan?" Rat demanded, "What if I don't want to follow it… you are just a newbie."

"A newbie with something you do not own," Atem said simply, "I need you to drag Ehecatl's body in here after I kill him. Take it somewhere where it will be safe."

"What the hell?" Rat's high-pitched voice echoed throughout the sewer system, "You really do think you are going to kill Ehecatl, don't you? Well, I have news for you. Ehecatl is better than you. He will murder you before you can utter a sound."

"We shall see," Atem said, "Read my words Rat. We shall win this game once and for all. If you follow me now, and do this what I ask, we will win an upper hand against The Dark One."

"We?" Rat asked, "You say it as if there was a team… There is.-"

"I know." Atem said shortly, "Ehecatl will be dead in an hour, but you must get him away from where The Dark One can see him. Talk to Ehecatl about how there is no unity among the players."

"You want me to talk to dead corpse…" Rat said, bewildered, "a dead, decaying, organic corpse…"

Atem swallowed the need to explain and with nothing more to do, Atem hauled himself up the storm sewer where he lay low in the narrowed space, watching for any movement outside.

From below, he heard Rat giving him directions of where to go as he stepped outside. Would Rat even listen to him? If he did not drag Ehecatl out of the scene before The Dark One discovered Ehecatl was not necessarily dead, then Atem's own death would be in vain. Fourteen days… a death sentence for Yugi.

x

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><p>x<p>

Not even outside, the sewer system's smell of putrefying left him. It was now clinging to his clothes, to his skin, to his essence. He was tempted to strip off his shirt. Maybe that would at least allow him to clear his mind. Several men and women walking in the opposite direction of the street tried to stare him down, as if he was nothing but a beggar because of his appearance. Atem never lowered his gaze. Instead, he looked them in the eye, making them look away, most covering their noses as they went.

Not five minutes of walking, a building much like the others came into view, a red faded sign that contained the name of the place hanging over the front door.

Casually, Atem walked past it, glancing innocently around, looking for signs of anything that might become useful in the future or be a threat of some type. There was only one person guarding the front door, already dozing off.

This would be easy.

With the same technique he had used to hide himself from Yugi that first day, he commanded the shadows to cover him, more a trick that he had learned from Mahad than actual use of magik.

As Atem walked right through the entrance, the guard started coughing, covering his nose and shaking his head wildly. Apart from that, he noticed nothing but maybe a chill running through his spine. Atem headed straight for the stairs, which turned out to be just as filthy as the rest of the place. Fifth floor he went to, still using the shadows to hide himself from the unseen cameras.

When he got to the appointed floor, he took a left. The apartment number was fifty-eight. The hallway seemed endless and upon each step, the boldness and uncaring feelings he had had began wavering. What if Rat had been right and Yugi was…

He bit his tongue. These thoughts were useless. Right now, the thing that he needed most was reason… to be aloof feelings. Being too late would destroy his ability to follow the scheme of his plan. It would all be decided in the next minutes.

The number of the fifty-eighth apartment was just as faded as the front sign had been, a decrepit place, full of those who lacked money.

His fingers closed on the door knob, turned it. It was unlocked.

As the door gave way to the room, Atem stepped in, vaguely making out the outlines of the room thanks to the light behind him and that which flickered into the room through the curtain-drawn window at the far end.

As his eyes began to adjust to the poor light, he gazed around, taking in the small living area. Now, he could vaguely see a counter at his right, a kitchen behind it was his guess.

"Atem…" Yugi's voice reached him, barely more than a whisper.

Immediately, Atem made a reach for the sound of the voice, dodging a low table and kicking some bottles that shattered and sprayed his foot with a liquid that filtered through the bandages and made him wince in pain. The smell of alcohol mingled with that of sewer.

He found Yugi tied up against a chair in a closet near the table.

"Aibou!" Atem yelped. He had not realized how worried he had been for Yugi until now. Before, he had been sure that he was fine and that his plan could proceed. Was he so selfish as to be able to think rationally even after knowing that Yugi had been, or still was, in jeopardy?

"Partner, are you fine?" Atem asked, taking out the dagger he had and cutting the rope that held him.

Yugi's features were unreadable, submerged in the darkness that the room offered, but it was obvious he was in deep ail.

"Atem," he whispered, then his eyes widened and he yelled, "Turn around! It's a trap! He knew you were going to come. Behind you!"

Atem did not turn; instead, he threw himself to the ground at Yugi's feet. The blade of his silent killer slashed the air above him, a shadow and nothing more. Soon enough, Atem was on his feet, facing Ehecatl's dark outline as a snarl-like sound came from his throat.

"Indeed I expected you," Ehecatl said, a pained hint lingering to his every word, "Not many abandon the ones that they are meant to protect."

Atem narrowed his eyes. His way of speaking had returned to its usual state, but still, the way he carried himself was that of a man barely able to stand.

"I will ask once. Why did you take Yugi?" Atem asked, making sure that his body was in such a position that Ehecatl could not see Yugi. As a secondary thought, he remembered what he had been taught upon fighting. His mind started to pin-point specific places where the dagger he was carrying could successfully penetrate into Ehecatl's skin. Every breath Ehecatl gave off seemed to bump adrenaline through Atem's body. He remembered the pleasure that a good fight could give off. And very far away, he could hear his father warning him that he had being taught to fight wisely, like a man and not some blood-thirsty beast. He pushed his father's voice back, ready to kill.

Ehecatl charged, his movements slow and clumsy. Atem dodged the first swing and slashed at Ehecatl, but pained or not, Ehecatl was able to give a few steps back, leaving Atem on the offensive. His foot had started to throb again, but he ignored it.

"No stop!" Yugi yelled from behind them, "Stop! Atem please! Ehecatl! We're supposed to be on the same side!"

Atem halted; the dagger that he held inches from Ehecatl's neck stopping. Ehecatl's own, as Atem noticed, was directed to his chest, a move he would not have been able to deflect without a severe wound. It was a wonder why this murderer had actually stopped to Yugi's voice.

"An animal's desire to seek revenge is overpowering is it not?" Ehecatl asked, lowering his dagger and offering his neck to Atem, "Men at some times are the master of their fates; the fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings…*"

A grin crept into Ehecatl's features, "Are we or are we not controlling our future Atem?"

Atem lowered the dagger, reason striking him once again. He had almost ruined everything in his lust for revenge. He breathed in sharply; Ehecatl knew there was a plan. Some way or another, he knew that there was to be hope if this turned out right, that they might just be able to control their fate for an unknown period of time.

Atem stared him in the eye. It was small, almost nonexistence, but Atem saw it, a flash of comprehension in the dark eyes of his. Behind them Yugi was trying to untangle himself from the half cut ropes. Wondering how bad this would affect Yugi, he glowered at Ehecatl, an ally he would have to kill.

"Listen Atem, I'm fine," Yugi said behind him, "Ehecatl wasn't… ughhh… reasoning. There must be a reason why he did what he did."

Atem ignored him against all odds.

"Why do we not fix this the old fashion way?" Atem asked, "Perhaps you believe you can beat me in a Yami No Game."

Yugi yelped behind him, screaming loudly for Atem to rethink it, to not continue to do it. Atem looked at Yugi. He could not risk telling him what was really going on, the secure way was to hide it as well as he could. His partner's face was begging him.

"Why would I play a game when I can simply kill you off right now?" Ehecatl asked.

"Because you have backstabbed too many players already; it is time that you fight with honor." Atem replied.

For a moment, Ehecatl made no sound, only his uneven breathing lingered in the room. Yugi's pleads had gone quiet as he tried to make Atem change his mind with his innocent eyes. What he did not know was that Atem was doing this to protect them all.

"Honor, pride… it is foolish to think those things are important. The important thing is to win," Ehecatl said, then, "If I win, you will bring the one I am meant to protect back from the shadows. And if you cannot do that, then I shall not play."

"If I win, your soul will be mine," Atem said shortly, understanding that Ehecatl was not talking of the Yami No Game at all. He was telling Atem that he would only follow the plan if his former request could be fulfilled. In its time, it would.

"State your rules, and this time, do not use fire," Ehecatl said, backing away from the apparent 'twins.'

"Very well, I.-"

"Noo! Atem don't do this! You are better than the shadows. I know it! Please!" Yugi's voice was very hard to ignore. It brought back countless memories from their time together as Atem fought off the feeling of being evil. Now he wondered if Yugi had been wrong all along and Atem was indeed evil.

"We shall play on the rooftop of this building; there, I will explain the rules."

Ehecatl nodded and crossed his arms, waiting for Atem to exit the building first. Atem turned to Yugi, who shook his head viciously from side to side.

"This is not who you are Atem," Yugi said, "You are good… we don't even know if Ehecatl is bad or not. Remember all the enemies that we have faced that turned out to only be desperate? Please, don't do this."

It was too late to go back. Atem knelt besides Yugi, knowing that he was about to reject whatever forgiveness Yugi could manage to give him after what had happened last time. He leveled his eyes with Yugi's, smiling at him as if to reassure him this was all planned.

"Bring a card deck Ehecatl. We will need it," Atem said.

Ehecatl nodded slightly and fetched one from a drawer right beside him.

"Listen partner," he whispered, "You must trust me. I know who I am. I will make sure Ehecatl does not hurt you again."

It was so painful, not to be able to tell Yugi anything else without making noticeable what he was about to do. Yugi's features had changed into shock. Atem held back his need to give up and blur out his whole plan to Yugi.

"I will be back. Meanwhile, take this," Atem said, placing The Dark Magician which he had been holding all along on Yugi's lap, "You may not forgive me, but I still believe you will beat everyone in the World Cup."

And before he could see what Yugi's reaction might be to his uncharacteristic statement, he walked briskly out of the room, followed closely by Ehecatl.

"I will kill you Ehecatl," Atem murmured as he walked through the hallway from where he had come from, "I will kill you for touching Yugi just as I murdered the girl in the forest."

Threats were so easily made.

Ehecatl said nothing, but since he had not backstabbed Atem yet, Atem too said nothing. Only Ra knew if this would work.

x

* * *

><p>x<p>

*Shakesperean quote

Thank you! I hope you enjoyed it!

Reactions? future hopes? Questions? Suggestions? Please do tell me.


	12. Chapter 12

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 12. The Joker**

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

Last chapter: With the help of Rat, Atem has finally made his way to where Ehecatl lives; an old apartment where he finds Yugi tied up against a chair. Ehecatl tries to kill him, but as he

Enjoy!

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

The stairs creaked underfoot. Not that wooden type of sound that old houses made, but rather an almost metallic sound as each and every footstep fell. The apartment building had sixteen floors, with no working elevator, but then again, standing still was not an option. The weight of what might happen either if he failed or if he won was better carried on the move. They passed the eighth floor and the ninth. Atem could hear Ehecatl's breathing behind him, heavy, uneven intakes of this air that smelled of sewer and alcohol.

The ninth floor was left behind.

Atem ran through the new rules of the game, unsure of what he would truly do once there. It really did not matter; he had never had trouble thinking up a Yami No Game. The tenth floor came past. Eleventh. Twelfth. His burnt foot was aching now, only another excuse to stop it all and go back.

Yugi… Atem sighed. There was nothing much to think about after what had happened just moments before, ass if Atem could take back whatever he had said to him, as if he could cease to exist and take all of his mistakes and pains away from Yugi, with him.

The door which led to the roof top was locked. Atem set his jaw, wondering what to do. Already the feeling of aloofness had started to take over. He could hear the shadows, feel them as they caressed his mind and lured him away from the thought of Yugi, and what he might have said, and what he might have done.

"One should rather die than be betrayed. There is no deceit in death. It delivers precisely what it has promised. Betrayal, though… betrayal is the willful slaughter of hope," Ehecatl said from behind him, momentarily startling Atem, who had been too immerse in his own thoughts, "Must I even explain what it means, that quote?"

Side-stepping Atem, Ehecatl walked closer to the locked door and, from his pocket, he took out a pair of keys, which easily fitted into the lock. He gazed back at Atem and grinned.

"Have we or have we not committed countless betrayals to whom we call friends?" Ehecatl asked, "That kid, Yugi Mutou… how many times had you betrayed him already?"

Atem was taken aback by the question. He could feel his eyes widening at the thought. What could he answer to that? There was not much to say. It was true. Atem had betrayed Yugi several times throughout their life together. Therefore, he abstained from answering.

"That's what I thought," Ehecatl said, offering Atem to go up the last flight of stairs first.

Atem did, anger swelling him up with a desire all too known. How dare this man speak to him like such?

Finally outside, Atem gazed around steadily, smirked, and turned his attention to Ehecatl.

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

That could not have been the pharaoh! It couldn't have been! Atem was not like that… he was good. He was good!

Yugi shook his body violently back and forth, managing to tip the chair he was held against backwards. A sharp yell escaped his lips as his hands, behind the chair, were crushed under his own weight.

He fought against gravity for a while until exhaustion took over. There, alone, he allowed tears to roll silently down his face. It was dark. Ehecatl had closed the door of the apartment soon after Atem had exited it, leaving the place covered in shadows that mocked Yugi, telling him that Atem was theirs.

And somehow, Yugi knew it had been his fault, this whole thing. If Atem had not been forced to come back in order to protect him yet again, then he would have been resting in the afterlife with Mana, Shada, Seth, Mahad…

His lavender gaze traveled to the Dark Magician on the floor besides him. Some pieces of glass were scattered in a way that the poor light from under the front door was reflected by them, giving the card an air of mystery and what was more, of hope. But how could there be such thing as hope when the pharaoh was about to play a Shadow Game?

Atem needed him. There had been something wrong with him as he knelt beside Yugi, telling him that he was going to deal with Ehecatl once and for all. It was not only the fact that he would have never said that, but rather the way he had looked at Yugi, as if he wasn't sure of his own words.

"Doubt…" he couldn't help but whisper the word; it was the right one to use. There had been doubt in the pharaoh's features.

Closing his eyes, Yugi inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself. Something bad was going to happen, no matter how the Shadow Game turned out. This would not have a happy ending. There was no bright side this time, none if the Atem he had seen minutes before was the real Atem. And it had to be, Yugi would have known the difference between him and any fakers.

He called out again for what seemed like the zillion time, but no one came to help him. He had to go help Atem, had to go now before it was too late.

X

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><p>X<p>

"I will explain the rules momentarily, but beforehand," Atem said, "If you win, you can kill Yugi without my trying to stop you. But if I win, your soul will be mine to keep."

Ehecatl nodded, aware that Atem was not mentioning the fact that he had promised Xochitl would be back with him if he happened to win. It did not seem to matter. Deep down, Ehecatl knew Atem could not bring Xochitl back. He was powerful, but he was still a newbie.

It too was annoying how Atem phrased his ideas. He was saying Ehecatl could kill Yugi, but then he was saying he would take his soul away, which was, by all means, the same as killing. Or was there a difference?

Atem gazed around again; his eyes had gained a certain dark lighted color to them, a half-grin played along the tip of his lips as his gaze landed on apparent normal spots of the roof. Ehecatl let his own eyes travel the future battle arena, wondering what this once-upon-a-time pharaoh was planning.

The roof was unleveled; it had several areas where it was higher and lower, but they were not enough to hide well, though Ehecatl could improvise if it came to that. Apart from that, the only thing worth noticing was the skylight that curved outward to his right. He wondered if it would hold a man's weight. Then, there was a rather small wall instead of a fence around the perimeter of the rooftop. If you happened to lose your balance near the edge, there would be nothing to stop you from falling all the way to the parking lot.

Atem's mouth opened, but even before that, Ehecatl had a minor idea of how they could lose.

"First, we will spread all the cards of the deck we have, evenly throughout the whole roof," Atem said, and indeed started doing so.

Ehecatl blinked, sure the wind would blow the cards away, yet he said nothing, watching Atem as he placed each and every card with an accuracy that even surprised Ehecatl.

"This is going to take much time newbie," Ehecatl said, emphasizing the last word, "I don't wish to spend my whole day playing a stupid game just to kill a kid; especially when a kid is already under my power."

"You know very well he is not," Atem said, "or else you would not have accepted to play as easily."

There it was! That voice, low and persuasive, with an almost seductive way, the same one he had used to lure the girl in the forest to his game. It made Ehecatl uncomfortable, as if he was less than Atem. But then again, that was what Atem was probably meaning to do. No, the newbie infront of him was not acting, he had not meant to, he was talking like a man that simply knew and not why or how…

As Atem placed the cards down, one by one, Ehecatl fell deeper and deeper into his own dilemma. He was about to play a game that could kill him, when he could simply stab Atem and get rid of him for good, and yet, there he was, observing this player that shared the same powers as The Dark One.

It wasn't in his features anymore, but Ehecatl could swear he had seen it in Atem, a flash of emotion of some sort. Those that you observe but do not see at the same time, in the apartment, as Atem had been trying to kill him with the dagger, his features had turned, for the tiniest of moments, in reassurance, something you could hold on to… hope.

Ehecatl shook his head; that had made no sense, Atem only cared for Yugi Mutou, the one he was meant to protect. To him, Ehecatl was just an obstacle, an obstacle that would be his end or vice-versa.

Finally, the last card was placed down.

"Very well, listen then," Atem said crossing his arms as he stood before Ehecatl, "The goal of the game is simple. Whoever falls from the roof top, loses."

Well daah. Ehecatl rolled his eyes. Of course only one of them would be able to survive.

"As you see, the cards are equally spaced from each other; imagine it to be a game board. Every card represents a spot where you can stand."

Ehecatl nodded, trying to keep up with the rules against his headache.

"First, we will start wherever we desire and will grab the card before us. The number of the card will tell us how many spaces we will move. The signs will indicate what direction we are to move."

It was a luck game then… good, Ehecatl would not have to think. Of course that led the game to be much easier to lose.

"If spades, we will move in that direction," Atem said, pointing at his right, where the sun was, "If clubs," he pointed behind Ehecatl, towards the entrance to the roof, "if hearts," he pointed to the left, "and if diamonds," he pointed behind him, "is that clear?"

"Indeed," Ehecatl said, "Will the ace be one? Or eleven?"

"You decide," Atem said, "Kings, Queens, and Jacks are all eleven."

"And if you get the jokers?"

"You lose," Atem grinned devilishly, "Are we in an agreement?"

Ehecatl nodded, not wanting to understand why he had accepted this game anymore. He was in. What mattered was what was to come and not what had been.

"One more thing, do not try to cheat," Atem said as matter of fact.

Ehecatl didn't need to cheat.

"Very well then, Yami No Game…"

Instantly, Ehecatl felt a tremor running up his spine. He shuddered.

The sunlight, which had been very bright moments ago seemed dimmed, and there was no cloud that could be blamed. The temperature too was apparently lower, much lower but not enough to chill someone quickly. It felt as though a fog-like blanket had engulfed them, and it was no optical illusion. It was real, something that pressed against you and made you tremble.

"I will go first," Atem said, reaching to grab the nearest card; a three of spades. He moved towards the sun, leaving the card that he had picked up where it had been, stopping at the place designed.

"Your move," Atem said, waving his hand as if he was giving Ehecatl permission to move.

Ehecatl grinded his teeth.

Walking a few paces to a card that looked promising, he picked it up. It was the six of hearts. He walked hurriedly, passing the next six cards away from the sun and gazed back at Atem, who was already grabbing his next card. There was an air to him when he looked at the card, of confidence, as if he already had won the game.

The card was the eight of clubs. He moved calmly, grinning as he went. At the eighth card he stopped, leaning on a wall, watching Ehecatl.

Again, Ehecatl's turn; his card was 5 of clubs. He moved, as slow as Atem had before. If he thought they had the time of the world, then so be it. He passed close, too close from the skylight. To his other side, not three cards away from him, the roof came to an end. He was trapped, with only two ways to get out and mother luck's side unknown.

"Are you starting to sweat Ehecatl?" Atem sneered, "To be so close to death…"

"The dead one will be you," Ehecatl said, mostly annoyed at how he was being gazed down upon.

Ace of clubs made Atem climb up the wall he had been leaning against, but up where he stayed, he looked content.

"Use your turn wisely, for it might be the last," Atem said, letting a chuckle escape him.

Who would have ever guessed that someone could beat Ehecatl? Ehecatl grinned. No one could beat him. He had to save Xochitl; he could not lose.

Slowly, he grabbed the card; heart pounding hard against his chest. The card was a seven of clubs. But his relieve lasted only a second, for this move led him to the corner of the roof, where his chances of falling were extremely high.

Atem grabbed his card, his features darkening. It was the jack of spades. Towards the sun he walked, jumping down from his position and walking slowly. His body had stiffened now. He was going to fall. He climbed up the short wall that separated him from his death.

But no, the eleven paces led him one step away from death. Even the ace of spades could kill him now. Atem turned around to face Ehecatl, his smirk still in place, but it was obvious that the stiffness of his body meant how knowing of this being his possible last minutes.

Ehecatl picked up his card, his breathing catching on his throat. It was the four of hearts… and he only had three spaces where he could move against the sun. The stakes were too high. He was going to lose.

He gazed at Atem, but this one in turn was gazing off in the distance, probably lost in some memory or another. This couldn't be the end. What would happen to Xochitl without anyone to save her? He could not just walk right off the edge and leave her alone. This was a game, a simple game that required the player to he himself walk off the ledge, and he could not be forced to do so.

Placing the card on the floor slowly, he walked silently towards another random card, which turned out to be the ace of diamonds. He chose to move eleven spaces.

Now Atem was watching him, eyes of a hawk upon its prey. He picked up his card, queen of diamonds. He walked along the edge of the roof, opposite of Ehecatl. If it had been jack of spades, he would have lost. But would he have thrown himself off the ledge?

"Ehecatl, pick up your card, this move will be your last," Atem said, crossing his arms and chuckling loudly. As if he was not the one about to lose it all.

Ehecatl did. But as his fingers enclosed around the card, his breath caught again, even before looking at the card, he knew what it was. It was a joker. He could feel it, hear it, as the darkness laughed, clinging to Atem's own laughter. And this time, Atem was watching his every move. Wait…

"You tricked me!" Ehecatl yelled at Atem, "You knew I would draw the two of hearts before, and then change my card! You knew I would pick the ace of diamonds and that that would lead me to the joker! You knew!"

Atem's laughter stopped. He stared at Ehecatl, coldly.

"I knew not," he began, "It was your own actions that led to this. Yami No Games are designed to weigh the darkness within each individual playing. I warned you against cheating, and now, this is what will come, you have decided your own fate."

The card flew off Ehecatl's hand, but as it danced with the breeze, he caught a glimpse of it. It was no joker; it was the jack of spades. Spades… Atem would have lost if he had had that card.

"And now, prepare," Atem said, "Those who do not follow the rules receive a Penalty game!"

The pain started within his chest, a sharp excruciating pain, which rose to his throat and went down to his belly. It was no pain that he had ever known and as Atem walked closer to him, each and every card of the deck placed on the roof took flight. Something was being stripped from him.

He tried to keep whatever it was inside of him, but his body and mind were exhausted.

He wanted to give in to it. It was meant to be…

"Now, your soul is mine," Atem said, "Do not fight it. You have saved me fourteen days from death."

Fourteen days? What did that mean? It did not matter. He was growing sleepy. Was this how it felt to die? At the feet of a pharaoh… being consumed by darkness? And everything that you cared for mattered not, only yourself, that's what was important.

Sleep overtook him, but instead of a dreamless, eternal sleep where you were meant to rest in peace… he was floating aimlessly in shadows, and the pain, and the images of his father being sacrificed to the god of war. The sacrificial stone… his father's heart… feathers… kings… the voice…

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Atem closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down.

Even though the Yami No Game was over, the shadows lingered with him, almost purring at his deed. But there was nothing else he could have done. It was true he had not being paying attention to Ehecatl because he was expecting him to cheat. If Ehecatl had fallen off the roof, then the game would have been to no achieve for there would have been no way to return Ehecatl's soul to his body.

Again, Yugi's face crossed his mind. He wondered if someone had already heeded him. Hopefully they had, but since he had not showed himself here on the rooftop, then it was probable that he was still tied up, thinking of how Atem had betrayed him once more.

Sighing, Atem walked towards the door.

_Well done ancient young warrior. Your use of shadows is indeed as some say, legendary… but now I wonder, whatever shall you do?_

Atem kept on walking, not caring where the raven that normally accompanied the voice had perched. But indeed it was right, whatever shall he do now?

All of the cards had been flown away, except for one. Atem picked it up, he knew which. The joker stared back at him, but it was no normal joker, it had dark eyes, and black hair… Ehecatl.

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Hope you have enjoyed it! I know I promised I would update weekly, and yes, whatever I say will be an excuse. So I will not give any excuse save the fact that I was sick. But I'm back in track now.

Comments? Criticism? I am open to everything you can give me.


	13. Chapter 13

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 13. Death**

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! it belongs to Kazuki Takahashi

As promised, Chapter 13 was re-done... Enjoy!

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Slowly, and with his head raised high, he walked through the front doors of the Kaiba's corporation's main offices. Before him, an escort led the way. Behind him, another man followed. It was nice to be treated as a threat for once. Not too many people were able to get over the fact that he was five years old, automatically thinking him an obedient little kid.

Of course, he was being charged for committing cold-blood murder. Who knew… maybe this time he had crossed the line.

As they made their way towards an elevator in the far side of the lobby, many people stopped to stare. The rumors seemed to have been spreading like wild-fire. Either that or it was the fact that he was still covered in dried blood. He smirked as the thought crossed his mind; the blood of a king.

"Is that the kid?" a woman called from behind a desk to another one, "He looks so young!"

"What kid? Oh! You can't be serious!" the other one answered, "Then is it true? Is the guy that went to Austria's World Cup not the real Yugi?"

'No,' the murderer answered in his mind, rolling his eyes. Yugi Mutou was still very much alive, at least in a physical way he was. Though the person that was now dead and the Mutou kid were very much alike, funny how looks could deceive.

His escort led him into the elevator, passing a card infront of a scanner and pressing the floor they were meant to go to. It was the first time the kid was going to meet Seto Kaiba, and all it had taken was a kill. A special kill. Not that he had ever dreamt about meeting the CEO of the self-called best corporation of the world; he was just another man with lust for power.

The elevator's door opened, revealing a young woman who carried a portfolio with her, tears instantly stung her eyes as she saw the kid. From there on, she took the lead, taking them through a network of hallways.

The murderer child memorized each and every turn. It was a survival rule; know how to be able to flee at all times. Something he had neglected after the crime he had committed. But was it really a crime when the person you had killed had so willingly let you kill him?

They came to the end of a hallway, where a pair of doors lay. Behind these doors was Kaiba, the person Atem had told him to talk to right before he had dragged Ehecatl's body out of the roof. Why it was so important for him to tell Kaiba what had happened he could only begin to guess.

The lady opened the doors to the office within, motioning him to come in. Both of his escorts came in after him.

"Leave us, I'll speak to this kid alone," a man behind an expensive desk said.

After some arguing that was based only on glares, the two men exited the room, leaving the CEO of Kaiba Corp and the king murderer alone.

Barely a moment passed before Kaiba began typing quickly in a laptop, but soon he was done, and closing the laptop, he glared at the kid. It was a good drop-dead stare, but Atem could still have beaten it.

"You are the kid that was found in the crime scene," Kaiba said. It wasn't a question, but either way, Rat nodded.

"What happened," Kaiba asked, though it still sounded like an order.

"You are worse than what people say Mr. Kaiba," Rat's childish voice purred out of his throat, and for the first time, he was glad it was high pitched. It made him sound much more annoying.

He saw Kaiba flexing his fists. But if this man, powerful or not, kept talking to him as if he controlled everything, then he was not going to say anything. Besides, it was funny how little control Kaiba had over his anger.

"Do you even know why you are here?" Kaiba asked, his voice tight, "or are you too stupid, like three year olds are supposed to be."

"I'm five," Rat said, "and yes, I know why I'm here. The fact that I killed someone seemed to have affected your company."

Kaiba stood up sharply, sending the big chair he had been sitting on flying against the wall behind him and banging his hands against the desk. Rat did not even flinch; instead, a small chuckle escaped his mouth, again hating his own voice. If it hadn't been so high-pitched, then maybe.-

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. It was the same lady that had led him to the office moments before. Kaiba waved her away, but she stood her ground, glancing nervously at Rat. At last, Kaiba gave up.

"This better be good," he said.

The woman spoke quickly. A vomiting of words that Rat listened to carefully. It was a wonder how many things could happen in the spam of a couple of days. It seemed that Yugi had arrived successfully to Austria the night before. But as Rat had already seen, the rumor that the real Yugi Mutou was dead was already known to countless number of people, leading to several anonymous threats that accused Yugi of being an impostor and that he had killed the real 'King of Games.'

She too said that the letters were explicit of how Yugi was to die, which Rat thought rather interesting, not too many people had the stupidity of telling how they were going to shoot the fake Yugi Mutou if he dared play The Dark Magician in the duels. But that was beside the point.

As the woman continued her monologue, Rat discovered that the threats had been intersected by Kaiba's co-workers in Austria, and so Yugi didn't know about them; which meant too, that he didn't know Atem was dead.

"If that's everything then go away," Kaiba commanded.

"Maximillian Pegasus called," The lady said against Kaiba's obvious annoyance, "He wants to speak to you about.-"

"Tell that cartoon freak that Kaiba Corp will be dealing with this Yugi incident," Kaiba said, then added, "Tell him he is not invited to the tea party."

Rat had heard that name before; Pegasus, it sounded familiar. The lady exited the room, closing the door behind her. Once again, silence fell for a moment not too long.

"So Yugi went to the World Cup even though Atem wasn't with him," Rat said, "I wonder what would happen if someone tells Yugi that Atem not only betrayed him but is now dead."

"Betrayed?" Kaiba asked, curiosity clear in his voice, "What do you mean 'betrayed?'"

Thinking quickly, Rat walked deeper into the room, sitting on a chair across the desk with feet dangling in the air. If he was going to tell the whole story, then it was better to get comfortable. Who knew how long this could take? Atem had told him to say specific things, and Rat would say no more.

"I'll tell you whatever I came here to tell you," Rat said, "but you will owe me something."

"Owe you what."

"I don't know, I'm guessing Atem would have liked to have that opportunity open…" Rat said sleepily, crossing his arms.

"Atem IS dead," Kaiba said, a heavy tone to his voice, "He can't say anything anymore."

"I know he's dead," Rat said, "I killed him."

It was time to execute Atem's final request. But first, he had to know exactly what to say.

"After Ehecatl kidnapped Yugi from the hospital, I was told to serve him as a guide. I was supposed to lead him to Ehecatl's apartment," Rat started, watching as Kaiba sat back down in yet another chair and made himself comfortable, taking in every word that Rat spoke; though it was obvious that the whole conversation was being recorded either way.

"He was in a lot of pain when I found him there. Even with the painkillers I could hardly believe he was still walking. And then, when I led him in the sewer, he kept gagging over and over. I would have killed him then you see," Rat said, "My plan was to abandon him in the sewer system for the rats to eat. But then he pulled off this crap about him going on by himself. I wanted to kill him then and there, really, but I decided to leave it to Ehecatl."

He waited, expecting Kaiba to ask him who Ehecatl was, but he didn't, and so, the moment dragged for a couple of minutes before Rat continued.

"Before he left though, he told me to wait for an hour… or maybe it was two. I don't know I wasn't paying close attention. I did it though, of course.-"

"I don't care about that," Kaiba said, "Just get to the point, unlike you; I have a company to run and a real Yugi to save."

Rat rolled his eyes; grown-ups were such pains.

"When I went to Ehecatl's apartment to see what had happened I found Yugi instead.- Who got Yugi out of the apartment?"

"That is none of your business," Kaiba said, "Ehecatl was killed wasn't he, who killed him? Atem?"

"That is none of your business," Rat answered, smiling.

"The police received a call saying that they had found Yugi dead." Kaiba said, "I took it upon myself when I discovered it was not Yugi who was dead. As a team of specialists worked on what had happened, they too found Yugi in the apartment. Happy?"

"Atem did kill but did not truly kill him," Rat said, unsure of even how to explain it.

"Perfect, he did but he didn't," Kaiba stood, "Do you think this is some kind of game!"

"No," Rat lied; of course it was all a game. Life in itself was a game, "I found Ehecatl's dead body on the rooftop and dragged it to the sewer system just as Atem had asked me to do. It surprised me that Atem actually managed to defeat.-"

"What. Happened. Next?" Kaiba interrupted.

"Oh right, well, in short, I left Ehecatl's body in the sewer system but when I came back after having killed Atem, the body was gone."

Though it could have been the rats… those huge rodents were always looking for an easy meal. But there had been no blood, only a missing corpse.

"What happened to Atem?" Kaiba asked, his voice tight with annoyance.

"I killed him," Rat said, wondering how far he had to go before Kaiba would snap.

"How?" Kaiba's tight voice said the breaking point was very near. Sadly, Rat had no time to play around with him.

For yet another several minutes, Rat thought through his future answer, but soon he was lost in the remembrance.

After leaving Ehecatl's body, a dead body, in the sewer, he had searched for Atem, finding him in a park near the place the shadow Game or whatever it was called took place. He was sitting against a tree trunk where there were no people around, gazing off in the distance as if he were a wise man. Foolish. As Rat came closer to him, he noticed he was feverish, weak, and breathing hard against pain. His foot was swollen and had left a trail of blood from the apartment to where he now was.

And yet, upon seeing Rat, he had stood and smiled, placing his hands in the pockets of the pants Rat had gotten him; confidence seemed to radiate from his body, almost tangible. Slowly, he spoke in a deep tone, praising Rat for having done what he had asked him to do, asking Rat if he still thought Ehecatl could beat him. After he ran out of things to say, he gave Rat his last 'orders;' to go tell Kaiba of what was to happen.

But it was not his way of speaking or the words he spoke that made Rat feel welcomed. Was welcomed the word? Maybe so… it was a feeling as he had never felt before, but was overwhelming him, and still did. His sharp purple eyes had dug their way into Rat's mind. His gaze, full of acceptance but yet not trust. Yes! It had had to be that lack of trust that annoyed Rat the most. He wanted Atem to trust him, wanted it so badly it felt as if he was chained down. That was why he had killed him.

Then the 'pharaoh' had drawn the dagger of the girl Atem had killed; the thing the girl had been meant to protect, and pointed it at Rat, quickly stating that they were going to play a Shadow Game. Personally, ever since Rat had heard of Atem's abilities for games of the such, he had wanted to play with him himself. But the game Atem chose had been stupid.

The dagger had been placed between them. The person who could get to the weapon first and kill the adversary first would obviously win. The game had been short. Rat had no desire of not killing Atem. In fact, the lust he normally felt before a kill wasn't missing. Even before Atem had finished explaining the rules, Rat had already pin-pointed the places where a fast kill could be made.

Rat charged for him, grabbing the dagger as he went.

…but at least he could have covered his chest with his arms as Rat's arm descended with assassin precision, the dagger sinking swiftly, barely scraping bones. There had been no scream of agony, only a small gasp from Atem's part.

Blood oozed from the wound as Rat extracted the dagger, making sure to twist it as it went in order to cause even more damage. And so the pharaoh had landed on his knees, coughing, allowing blood to drip out of his mouth. Rat could remember it clearly, the warm blood that had drenched the dagger as he cleaned it against his shirt, the way Atem fell sideways as if everything was in slow motion, and the way his body convulsed for a short time before the light of those sharp eyes became distant and finally was gone. All it took had been one stab. Atem had been ready to die but… for what?

"Will you answer my question or did you just simply decided to take a nap?" Kaiba asked, finally bringing back Rat to the now.

"He asked me to kill him," Rat said, making a long story short.

Kaiba was obviously more than puzzled. He glared at Rat, a glare that would have probably left a lot of people trembling at his mercy, but not Rat… no, not the kid who had killed a pharaoh, THE pharaoh. And yet, Atem's plan was still standing, still working without a man pulling the strings.

"Now that I told you how he died, you owe me something," Rat said, making sure Kaiba would not forget, "but for now, I have to go Mr. Kaiba, I need to find Ehecatl."

"Why would I let you go? You are a murderer."

"Because I can help you keep Yugi safe," Rat answered, knowing that it was easier to promise than to actually do it.

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Yugi closed the door of his hotel room, sighing. It was the first time in days that his friends had finally left him alone with his own thoughts.

He had not mentioned anything about what had happened with Atem. Once the cops had taken him away and to the game shop, he had promised himself that he would not speak of it. Maybe, just maybe, it all had been a nightmare and he was still sleeping under the covers of his own bed, and Atem had never come back from the afterlife to protect him. All a dream and nothing more. He closed his eyes, but as he opened them again, the luxurious hotel room still stood infront of him, around him, and he was alone. It had been no dream, the scar that one of the glass pieces had caused was still very visible on his arm.

Such a coward was he.

Walking slowly towards the balcony at the far side of the room, his mind wondered involuntarily to the scene two days ago. What exactly had happened? It was obvious, and yet, Yugi could not bring himself to believe any of it. There was no proof that Atem had actually done what he had said he was going to…

Yugi couldn't cope with this anymore. It was eating him from the inside out. And there was no way he could ask Atem. He opened the balcony door, and stepped outside, for a moment taken aback by the beauty of the place. Atem couldn't even leave Japan, but he had told Yugi to come to Austria and win the World Cup.

And there he was, waiting to be called to the inauguration ceremony where he would be a guest of honor. What honor… he couldn't even help Atem back there when he had made the choice to play a Shadow Game with Ehecatl. He was a useless, good for nothing person.

Atem trusted him, and he had failed him. He should have had been able to talk some sense into him, but instead…

Yugi bit his lower lip as a firm knocking came from the door.

"Yugi! C'me on Yug!" Joey yelled, "We j'st decided to go visit the city! So c'me on!"

Ignoring it, Yugi kept looking at the garden that extended below him, watching groups of duelists coming in and out of the building. He wondered if Atem had ever felt like this back when he was a pharaoh; gazing down at those who looked up to him and feeling very well a powerless outcast. But Atem had been born knowing that he would become a pharaoh someday. Meanwhile, Yugi could barely keep from screaming his heart out. It was as if he was missing something, or someone besides him.

They had been separated for a whole year before, and yet, Yugi was feeling hollow inside again, just as how he had felt the moment Atem had departed the first time.

He shook his head viciously, new tears springing from his eyes.

"Yugi! I ain't leaving without you!" Joey kept screaming, banging the door harder every time. But suddenly, he ceased, "Yugi, op'n tha' door, I know s'mthng happened betw'n you an' the pharaoh… we hav'nt talked 'bout it because we thought it was tha best, but we we' wrong."

Slowly, Yugi walked back into the room, staring at the door for a moment before deciding to open it, knowing that Joey couldn't help Atem or him.

As Joey's features changed from a welcoming gesture to a sad, apparently understanding one, he looked at Yugi, making this one in turn wonder how awful he must appear to him. Not good if he was to guess.

"Oh, Yug, I'm so s'ry!" Joey exclaimed, giving Yugi a firm hug, "Tell me Yug, what happened?"

Yugi told him against having promised not to tell anyone. It was selfish, but he, at least, needed someone to dump all his worries on.

Once done, he waited for Joey to say something.

Instead, Joey's normal careless notion of things seemed to have vanished. It was not very often that this happened.

"List'n Yug," he started, "I hav' never unde'stood the pharaoh. I barely even know who he truly is… apart fr'm all that king stuff and stuff. You're the closest person to him… are ya sure he was talking 'bout a shadow game?"

Yugi nodded, looking away. He could tell Joey was having problems trying to comfort him, but still, he could not bring himself to tell him it was fine when it was definitely not fine.

"Ma'be he had a plan?" Joey asked, "Ya know how he always has som'th'ng in his hat, a dove or somthn'g."

Yugi smiled at the thought, though he shouldn't have.

"I don't know Joey," he said, "I tried to make him snap out of it.- I mean, he was going to kill Ehecatl! I saw it in his eyes! He slashed at him with the dagger to kill him!"

"Yug, you.-"

"No Joey!" Yugi screamed, feeling a sudden surge of anger rising to the surface, "I failed him! I was supposed to help him in his journey, but you saw him! He's not dead! He came back to protect me! He's alive! It's my fault!"

As soon as the words were out, Yugi's heart stopped, he couldn't believe what he had just said. And by Joey's shocked face, neither could he. But… but it was true! Atem was supposed to be in a better place, and he wasn't, all because of Yugi. And now, he was who knows where! probably suffering because of Yugi.

"You h've to snap out of it man!" Joey yelled, shaking Yugi back and forth, "Atem's here 'cause of his own doing! We did all we cou'd to help him get to the dam afterlife! It's not ya fault he's back!"

"Yes it is!" Yugi snapped back, "Don't you see! He's here because of me… because he needs to protect me… because I can't do it myself."

Joey did not immediately answer to that but only looked steadily at Yugi.

"You und'restimate yourself ya know?" Joey said, "No'ne but you wou'd have been able to help him save the world… I was the' when it all happ'nd, you're as strong as Atem is."

"I was supposed to help him… and I failed," Yugi whispered, "He was going to kill Ehecatl… and I couldn't stop him! He didn't listen to me! And he promised! He broke his promise Joey!"

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Hope it was better than last chapter! I added much more details in this one so it wouldn't be as confusing.

Thanks to all the ones who told me and helped me with this! Especially to 8393, Youngbountygirl, 12417, ll Kairi ll, Scaevola2, DarkHeartInTheSky. And, of course, to Quillfeather Nib.

Questions? Suggestions? Reactions? Else? Please do tell me!


	14. Chapter 14

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 14. Silent Dead**

****Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Tahakashi

Enjoy!

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What the hell had happened? Ehecatl clenched his jaw, crossing his arms against his chest to keep the warmth that the chill of the morning was trying to steal from him. His clothes were damped and smelled of decay and wordless nastiness, but they were nothing compared to the lingering darkness that stalked him from the edges of his mind. Never had he experienced such thing, in all of his years hearing the Dark One talk of the shadow realm's power to cause despair. He had thought he knew enough; the darkness was powerful and blah-blah-blah… but now it was different.

He shivered as the remembrance began to flood his mind yet again, as he drowned without dying and wished death would come upon him. It never did. And yet, here he was now, walking up the steps to a public library. It wasn't as clear as the pain, but he remembered a flashing light that swept the darkness away, pulling him away from that mad-man's place.

After having walked aimlessly through the labyrinth that was the sewer system underneath the city where he had awaken, he came to the realization that Xochitl was actually in the shadow realm. The Dark One had said so. What a horrible fate was the one he was meant to protect thought had brought a new surge through his body; he had to win this shadow game before anything else happened to Xochitl. And what would be better but to research this 'pharaoh' that had sent him to the shadow's place? He had committed a grave mistake, to face Atem without researching him first, next time,he would be ready.

He walked into the library, slightly annoyed by the gagging that immediately followed as people eyed him and ultimately, walked away from him and the smell. No one asked him to leave though, and so he walked to the historical section, wondering if Atem's powers came from hereditary power that only pharaoh's had or an isolated type that he had happened to obtain by his own doing.

Soon, Ehecatl was walking towards a calm corner of the library section where a table was, several thick books under his arm. Maybe after this, he would look on the internet for any extra information about his new bound subject.

Some of the books were historical, but the majority were myth books… where else would he find the power of darkness but from those? Besides, most myths, in his experience, had proven to be real to some extent.

For hours in end he searched, finding an overwhelming quantity of information about darkness's powers that had nothing to do with what he was interested in. He could not even find the name 'Atem.' There was simply nothing.

Only one thing was turning out to be good about this, and that was the receding shivering of his own body and mind. It was always amusing how feelings worked; pain and fear are only ultimate at the moment when they are being felt, but afterwards, they become a memory that one thinks could repeated and not suffered as much. And he was a perfect example, wasn't he already planning to take revenge on Atem? As if the shadows were unimportant already.

He grabbed yet another book, eyeing it before putting it aside. But something caught his eye and he grabbed it once more. The picture of the author in the back; Ishizu Ishtar… it was the woman that had opened the Egyptian section of one of Domino's museum. Maybe she had something to do with Atem. He opened the book, scanning the text briefly before turning pages. It was nothing more than.- Victory! There was an image of some ancient carving with a look-alike to Atem standing and guarding off some kind of priest. The caption title read 'the tablet of the pharaoh's memories.'

This was it! Ehecatl grinned and began reading.

"Excuse me sir?" Someone tapped Ehecatl's shoulders, startling him for a moment. Of course someone had to interrupt him.

"Is your name Ehecatl?" the girl asked, looking nervously around.

Ehecatl nodded, unsurprised as the girl handed him a cell phone. It was obvious that since he was not dead, Atem would contact him sooner or later. That pharaoh was a man that seemed to have everything under control. He had probably even had meant to bring Ehecatl back to his own body. And the fact that he had awoken in a sewer, was too his doing. Though he did wonder how he had managed to locate him.

He grabbed the phone, placing it against his ear.

"Why am I alive Atem?" Ehecatl asked, deciding it was worthless to play cat and mouse any longer, especially when he was the mouse, "Is it not enough to have killed me once?"

"Atem is dead," a very obnoxious Rat answered him.

That was something unexpected.

"What do you mean he is dead?" Ehecatl asked, eyeing the girl as she stood watching him, wide-eyed. Was it really true? Atem was dead? … Maybe Ehecatl had overestimated Atem after all. Or maybe Rat was lying.

"I don't feel like explaining the whole thing," Rat said, "I just explained it to Kaiba."

Ehecatl flexed his jaw. How had Rat gotten a hold of Seto Kaiba? He forced himself to remain calm. He had already committed irreversible mistakes. Something inside him told him that it was imperative to act wisely from now on. It too, however, would be foolish to trust Rat… he had indeed very bad reputation among the players, not that the players talked among themselves at all.

"You dragged me to the sewer, did you not?" Ehecatl asked. First, he needed information.

"Yes…" Rat said, "and you were dead so… why are you not dead? I'll tell you, because Atem didn't want you to die, not yet anyway."

"I know," Ehecatl answered, surprised that he had actually known the answer but hadn't been able to put it in words himself.

"So what's the plan?" Rat asked.

Ehecatl blinked… the plan? He was barely aware that he was alive. Atem was, according to Rat, dead. What was there but to return to the routine they had been in before Atem had come? He let his mind wander for a moment, knowing that he was missing something in the big picture. But what could that thing truly be? So many questions, no one to answer them.

"Hello?"

"I'm here," Ehecatl answered Rat, his voice tight. He didn't want to ask him what he thought, "If that is all you have to say, then I will hang up now."

"Mr. Kaiba wants to see you," Rat said, "If you come, I'll tell you everything."

How obvious a trap that was… Ehecatl grinned, to think that Atem had changed everything he knew with his simple card game that had cost Ehecatl's life. It all seemed to fit perfectly in some big scheme.

"Have you run out of your famous phrases Ehecatl?" Rat asked mockingly after seeing that Ehecatl had nothing else to say.

"'Death is the end of one story and the beginning of another.'"

"What does that mean?" Rat asked just as Ehecatl hung up and offered the cell phone to its owner.

It meant that they had not seen the last of Atem. Sure he was dead, but so had been Ehecatl, and yet, here he was, watching the girl trip as she ran out of view, looking for a police officer to tell what she had heard. That was Ehecatl's cue to leave.

Kaiba's Corp offices were not far from the library, but they were far enough to give Ehecatl time to think. He grabbed the books he had picked and slid them through a self-check-out machine. It was lucky he always carried his library card with him.

X

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><p>x<p>

"And the winner ladies and gents is no other than Yugi Mutou!"

There was loud cheering from all around Yugi, everyone claiming his name, but Yugi did not smile or even acknowledged them. He knew they were there and that he had just won his first duel monster's game in the world cup… it didn't seem to matter.

Ever since Joey had convinced him to duel, the memories of Atem had become overpowering, both the good and the bad.

He stepped down the dueling platform, almost hearing Atem praising him and pointing out things where they could improve. Today, he would be trying to cheer Yugi up, telling him that they had done just fine but that maybe their defense could be improved. And of course, Atem would blame himself for the lack of concentration they were having, giving no excuse to his mistakes. And then it would be Yugi's time to cheer him up, leaving them both content. But those times were long lost.

What had happened to Atem? Yugi shook his head, trying to get rid of the worst thoughts his mind could manage to come up with. He was acting like a cry-baby and as Atem would have said, it was time to move on. See! There he was again! Bringing forth what he thought Atem would tell him.

"Dude! You totally kicked that clown's ass!" Tristan yelled, playfully punching Yugi on the shoulder. The crowd's constant roaring had finally been left behind and they were walking down a hallway, surrounded by his friends.

"I gotta admit I w's a bit worr'd when he managed to destroy Gaia," Joey said, "but I always 'new ya would win!"

"Shut up Joey," Tea said, walking right beside Yugi, "You were cowering in your seat. You even said this was Yugi's end."

"I said noth'ng like that!"

Yugi smiled slightly at their argument as they dragged it on and on, glad that he could, for even the smallest of moments feel better, but then again, it returned to him, stronger than it ever had before if that was possible. He bit his tongue.

"I need to go back to Japan," Yugi said, feeling not fear but determination. Atem had saved him so many times before, but right now Yugi had already given up on him, only crying his heart out because Atem had done something wrong, and he hadn't been able to stop him at the moment it had happened.

It was time for Yugi to grow up and act as Atem's friend and partner.

"Yugi…" Tea said, her voice trailing off as she made eye contact with Yugi, "we just want you to know, that we will be right there with Atem and you..."

"No matter what," Tristan finished the thought, giving him a thumb up.

"Yeah, let's go s've the pharaoh's butt," Joey said, "and onc' it's safe, we'll kick it 'til it comes to its senses."

Yugi laughed; the image of saving only a butt and not the whole Atem crossing his mind. Joey should be glad that Atem hadn't heard that.

X

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><p>X<p>

As soon as he stepped inside Kaiba's main office and the receptionist had closed the door, the feeling of being a caged animal clawed its way to his chest. It was not that he disliked the room; in fact, he liked the way the curtains were drawn so that the shadows levitated in the office. Except… his heart raced as he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. They were the shadows! They had come to take him away to that dreadful place again!

But as he turned around to face the moving darkness, he discovered it was only a kid, Rat, to be more specific.

"Seems like someone had a scary day," Rat said, giggling like only children can, "Was it the rats that scared you or did you have nightmares while you were dead?"

Ehecatl glared at Rat, hating him, though before he could answer with a crude reply, another flash of movement chilled his blood. It was as if the darkness was taunting him, playing with his mind. He held on to his sanity, but still, he had begun to tremble.

"This is no time for reunions," the new shadow spoke, "I need answers now, or else I will make sure you forget what the word freedom means."

Ehecatl narrowed his eyes; the word freedom was already a useless, senseless word to him.

"You are Seto Kaiba," Ehecatl stated, "What do you want from me?"

Kaiba nodded, his eyes catching the light of a dimmed lamp beside him. He moved across the room, grabbing a remote control from his desk as he went and signaling both Ehecatl and Rat to have a seat. They did, and the feeling of being in a cage increased.

"This is my problem," Kaiba said, clicking a button on the remote control. A flat rectangle seemed to materialize in the middle of the room, slightly surprising Ehecatl who was truly a fool when it came to technology. He gave no sign of it though, only stared as an image of Yugi Mutou appeared in the screen. He was in an airport, followed by a swarm of reporters and fans, all of them howling questions that he did not answer. A sign on the bottom right corner read 'on live.'

"What's the problem with that?" Rat asked, "You brought me all the way from the cell they had threw me in this morning to see this? It was so obvious that Yugi Mutou would stop fighting in the tournament after what happened with Atem."

"Shut up," Ehecatl said, thinking that if Yugi quitted the tournament, then Kaiba Corp, being the sponsors of Yugi Mutou as Ehecatl believed, would be standing in a spot less than comfortable. So Kaiba was not even worried about Yugi's safety. He was worried about his company's fate. Of course, in this time period, money was a god.

"If I help you, what would I get in return?" Ehecatl asked.

"Simple, I will leave you alone," Kaiba answered. Not a good answer if you asked Ehecatl, and by Rat's features as he glanced at him, he thought that too. Both of them knew that Atem had somehow led them to Kaiba; unknown to them till then. Atem had taken the leadership in this game, had given them what they needed, a plan. Now, if Ehecatl could only begin to guess why he had had to die in order for it to work. Maybe he was overestimating Atem again; maybe Atem had just done it for a completely different reason. Ehecatl thought he was about to decipher part of Atem's plan. But he needed to know HIS own part in it.

"Kaiba, you knew Atem. What was he like?" Ehecatl asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Kaiba answered, "Is it because you are some kind of fanboy or something?"

Ehecatl smirked, thinking that he might act like that soon enough.

"In order to know what to do we need to know Atem," Rat said, "If you don't tell us how Atem was, we won't help you."

Ehecatl rolled his eyes at Rat; he had not been planning to have a pest invade his thinking area. But it seemed that he would have to work with Rat for this to actually turn out right. He hated team work so much.

"I need you to stop Yugi now!" Kaiba yelled, pointing at the screen, "I don't care what you do! Just talk some sense into him!"

"We have a deal," Ehecatl said, "Is there any way I can get a phone to Yugi?"

Kaiba grinned.

And yet, Ehecatl had no plan.

X

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><p>X<p>

Thank you! I hope you enjoyed!

Comments? suggestions? or anything you can come up with?


	15. Chapter 15

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 15. The Riddle**

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

Last Chapter: Yugi has left for Austria's World Cup after separating from Atem without even knowing Atem had been murdered. But upon realizing his duty to the pharaoh he decides to quit the tournament and head back to Japan where he hopes he can find Atem and bring him to his senses. Meanwhile, Ehecatl heads to Kaiba Corp and is asked to shove some sense into Yugi in order for him to keep on dueling.

Enjoy!

X

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><p>X<p>

"Yugi Mutou please! You cannot be serious! Are you!" a man with an oversized camera asked from among the dozens that surrounded him.

"What is making you quit the world cup?" another one asked, "Does it have something to do with your sponsors?"

"Yugi! Yugi! Please over here!" a woman asked, pushing away several other people that had been cramping close to Yugi, "Is Austria a deception to you? How is Seto Kaiba reacting to your decision? "

Yugi staggered at the infinite interrogating. He didn't know what to answer. He couldn't even think of an excuse to explain why he would be leaving that wouldn't raise even more questions. Only one thing was clear to him, the world cup was not important compared to what he had to do in Japan. But the crowd wouldn't let him walk through; even with the bodyguards he had been assigned, it was impossible to pass by.

Police officers tried to push off the crowd from the airport's terminal, but no one would budge. It seemed that Yugi would never get home in time… who knew how much help Atem needed?

A girl suddenly sneaked past the guards just enough for Yugi to see her tear-stricken face.

"You can't leave Yugi! You have to duel!" she screamed as two guards grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her away, "Come on! I bought first-class tickets to see all of your duels! I love you Yugi!"

Yugi blinked at the girl's statement. He didn't see how anyone could 'admire' him… maybe that girl was crazy, but, why would there be so many people surrounding him if they didn't like him? He could almost feel their desperation, their fear, their confidence… his eyes widened. But as soon as the feelings crossed his body, they disappeared. That had been no random people's feelings. They had been Atem's! Had he just made contact with him? All the way to Austria?

He closed his eyes, forcing everything out of his head, searching, reaping apart his fears and pains and sorrows, looking for that stray feeling that he had felt moments before. Nothing came to him, and as he was about to open his eyes to face reality once more, a sudden chill stroke him. He felt his body collapse, and far away, he heard voices, but they were dim and the words were unimportant. Yet, he heard them.

"Dude! What the hell!" it was Tristan, "Yugi! Joey what's going on!"

"I ain't know…" Joey answered, his voice tight, "His eyes are all glassy! Yug! Come on Yug! Don't space out in a time like this! We need to get him out of here before he collapses or something!"

And Yugi fell, deep into nothingness so vast that it crawled up his chest and left a hole there. He knew it wasn't real but still, fear was beginning to take a hold of him.

"Yugi!" Atem's voice echoed through the infinite blankness. It was impossible to determine where Atem was, but hearing his voice was all Yugi needed to know that he had reached Atem through their dying link.

"Atem, where are you?" Yugi asked, suddenly conscious of the lack of air. He choked, realizing he was in water, drowning. It was dense, and there was neither up nor down. It was like a nightmare where one can never make sense of anything. The thick liquid entered his lungs, and he tried to cough it out… but it was not water… it was sand. He looked wide-eyed at the endless dunes that extended infront of him. He knew this desert, it was Egypt!

He stood, walking a few paces in every direction before finding some footprints in the sand. Even though there was wind, they were almost impossible to miss. He followed them, knowing who they belonged to. But the real question was why Atem was in this place. Or better yet, why did their minds had sent them here? It was Atem's world somehow, just like his memory world, but different.

There was something following him, but every time he turned around, only wind met him.

Shortly after, the dunes gave way to a lonely house, surrounded by ruins. Yugi walked towards it, looking around to see only a raven landing on top of a dried skull of some sort of animal. It looked at Yugi with pearly black eyes, only stared. It reminded Yugi of a poem they had read in school not so long ago, but he couldn't remember the name.

He kept walking; feeling the raven's eyes on his back before it raised flight and disappeared, colliding against a stone wall. Yugi opened the door to the little surviving house, wondering what he would find. As he entered, he gasped, there; in the middle of a courtyard with his back to Yugi was Atem.

"Atem!" Yugi yelled, running to him and hugging him, forcing back tears.

"Yugi…" Atem said, but his voice was different, and as Yugi looked at him closely for the first time, he realized Atem was a child, shorter than him.

"W-what is going on?" Yugi asked, "What happened back at the apartment? I need to know!"

Atem smiled, looking up into the sky just as the raven from before soared above them. Behind the smile, Yugi could see Atem's warning. They were being watched by something.

"He kidnapped you. He deserved to be punished," Atem said, though Yugi could tell he was only saying that so whoever was hearing them wouldn't know the real plan. A pang of anger swept through Yugi. It was not fair that he could never know what Atem was planning. Someone, every time, had to come in between them. It was as if fate had decided Atem and Yugi would never speak like they used to.

"You like games," Atem said, walking a few steps back, "If I remember right, puzzles are your specialties. Do you want to try out my newest puzzle?"

Yugi blinked but nodded, not understanding what little Atem was talking about. Atem only grinned and sat on the floor, motioning Yugi to do the same. He did.

"You called me today Yugi," Atem said, "but I don't know how I got here except that I knew I would find you… since we can do nothing but wait, I say we play a game. Either way, the sun doesn't set here."

"A game? But pharaoh," Yugi started.

"Six pebbles," Atem said, grabbing some stray pebbles around him, on the floor, he placed three, "Pay close attention, there is a number I can't go past. Your duty is to guess that number before I reach it. Ready?"

What? Yugi's mouth fell open, a number Atem couldn't reach? This couldn't be simply a game. But then again, how was he supposed to understand what Atem wanted to tell him through this?

"Soon, there will be seven pebbles for me here and you there, unless you stay here with me. Then there will be no pebbles."

No pebbles if he stayed where? Here with Atem? Wait, Yugi narrowed his eyes, staring at the pebbles. Atem had just told him that the sun didn't set here. If it didn't set, then there will be no days here. Meanwhile, Atem had placed three pebbles before that. There had been three days after Yugi had last seen Atem. Could the pebbles mean days? But then again, he had said six days and had placed three pebbles on the ground.

"There is thirty one days in some months," Atem said, "but remember what we already used up."

Yugi blinked, thirty-one… but three were already used up. So twenty-eight days?

Atem smiled, as if telling Yugi he was in the right track even though he couldn't know what really crossed Yugi's head.

"Now, you know there are twenty-four hours a day," Atem said, placing twelve stones under the other three, "So how many minutes does an hour have?"

" Sixty," Yugi said and reached for some pebbles, after a while he had thirty pebbles on the ground of his own.

"What is my number?" Atem asked.

Yugi staggered. He had twenty-eight days. Now, he had placed three pebbles on the ground, but he had said six. If he had said twenty-four and placed twelve pebbles on the ground, and he had too said sixty and the answer was thirty… he was dividing by two then. So if you divided twenty-eight by two, it gave you fourteen…

The answer was fourteen! No, what about the three? It was so confusing! Wait! That was it! Three days since he had last seen Atem… if fourteen was the total, then subtracted by three it was eleven… It was a countdown? There had been fourteen days three days ago. So there were eleven days left until the countdown reached zero! But what would happen when it did?

"I'm done," Atem stated, standing up, "Hopefully the other parts of my riddle were not too hard for the others."

Others? Did he mean Ehecatl having a riddle to solve too? And who else?

"Yugi," Atem said, "Soon enough, we will meet where the sun does set, but now, you must depart."

Yugi nodded, half-smiling, finally knowing that Atem was the real Atem and that he really did have some kind of plan. Yugi was a part of it and he would not let the pharaoh down.

All of a sudden, the ground below him reached for him with sandy hands, pulling him beneath the ground. He saw his partner looking at him, but he didn't look worried at all, and so Yugi forced himself to relax as inch by inch the ground swallowed him. It was only a dream.

The raven from before flew into the courtyard, perching on Atem's shoulder and watched Yugi with its deadly stare.

_You have cheated young ancient warrior… This place is meant for isolation, talking to the one that you are meant to protect while here is cheating._

Yugi gasped at the intruder inside his head.

"I did not cheat," Atem said, nodding to Yugi as if trying to make him relax, "I was but playing a game with my partner since I was so bored."

_And through the game you have told secrets. _

Now, only Yugi's head was above the ground, but he heard the voice inside his head clearly. He somehow knew the raven was the one Atem had been fighting against all along. Was he the one that had made Atem fight off Ehecatl? Or had.-

"It may be and it may not be," Atem said, smirking, "I gave Yugi and Ehecatl a puzzle to solve, but this is your puzzle, and I won't give you any more clues."

_You talk foolish talk ancient young warrior, there is no puzzle I cannot solve, I am the master…_

"We'll see," Atem said and the ground engulfed Yugi.

X

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><p>X<p>

Yugi Mutou had completely lost his sense of where he was. Even from the news broadcast that Ehecatl had been watching with Seto Kaiba a while back, Ehecatl had been able to see his gaze distant as he was led away by Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, and some other girl he couldn't quite remember. The press however, noticed nothing. Kaiba had taken the opportunity to talk to the press afterwards, telling them Yugi would be giving his explanations in a conference within three hours. A hard thing to do, since Yugi's mind was who knows where.

Ehecatl sighed, and now because of that Yugi, he had to wait in Kaiba's office for who knows how long. He had been right before when he had felt like a caged animal in the room. It was their own little prison while they waited for Yugi to recover. Of course, Kaiba had been nice enough to supply them with videos of Yugi's and Atem's past duels. Maybe Ehecatl would be able to discover Atem's plan through them.

He felt hot breath against his head and turning around, he was unsurprised to see Rat looking over his shoulder at the TV. He sighed, returning his attention to the blurb of words that were being spoken by the duelists' on the screen. Even though he had read the official rule book before, the duel monster's game hadn't cease to confuse him. There were just so many effects from both monster cards and trap/spell cards that he could never be sure when Atem had the upper hand or not.

It was hard to fixate on Atem's personality through these videos, but there was one thing that kept recurring duel after duel. Atem protected his monsters, even the weakest of them, throwing traps and spells to do so. It was almost as if he respected them.

"Tell me again, how does a game help us know what a dead person is thinking?" Rat asked. Of course he wouldn't keep quiet for long. Ehecatl ignored him, watching intently as Atem called forth a bunch of furry balls to the field with a spell. Then he sacrificed two of them and called forth The Dark Magician Girl. The card gained five hundred attack points only because The Dark Magician was in the graveyard.

Narrowing his eyes, Ehecatl paused the video and re-watched Atem's last move. Many of Atem's cards seemed to have that characteristic; they helped each other and gave strength. And yet, they were mostly independent.

"I don't get why Atem cares so much about working together," Rat said, "I mean, I don't see how you can become stronger."

Working together… makes you stronger…? Ehecatl gasped standing, his eyes fixated on the screen. Of course! Atem had been king; it was simply obvious that he would think others should work with him; if not 'for' him. So that was the big plan? Atem wanted Ehecatl to 'unite' all of the players?

How silly.

That couldn't be done. It simply couldn't. The Dark One would only crush their little army with the threat of killing those that they were meant to protect. Even if he could manage to make some of them listen, there was no way he could prevent betrayal among the players. He himself was sure to betray whoever necessary to keep Xochitl safe from harm.

"Do you think Atem's plan will work?" Ehecatl asked Rat, knowing that by now, Rat would have reached the same conclusion.

"Who knows," Rat answered, "He has been thinking about everything so far, I wouldn't be surprised if he thought of The Dark One too."

At the moment, Kaiba entered the office, his stiffened body reflecting the stress he was going through.

"We are contacting Yugi now," Kaiba said.

"I thought Mr. Yugi was not feeling good," Rat muttered.

"I don't care," the CEO snapped, snatching away the remote control from Ehecatl's shoulder, "I don't care if he's dying, you are going to talk to him right now!"

X

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><p>X<p>

"Hey guys! I think he is coming to his senses!"

Yugi heard the voice suddenly loud, next to his ear, and after the silence he had been in as he had fallen through the shadows, he jumped.

"Yug! 're ya okay!" Joey asked, shaking Yugi back and forth several times, by the end of which Yugi had become extremely dizzy.

"What happened?" Yugi asked, looking around. He was in a small room with poor light, sitting on a couch.

"You completely spaced out," Tea said, "You know, in the airport. Your eyes were all glazed up and you wouldn't respond to anything, so we brought you back to the hotel."

"Oh," Yugi said, remembering what had just happened with Atem. Fourteen… now eleven…

"I saw Atem," Yugi stated, nodding at his friends as they stared at him wide-eyed, making sure they had heard wrong, they hadn't. "He told me that there were eleven days left."

"Left for what?" Tea asked, "How did you even see Atem?"

"I don't know, he didn't say. But I could tell we were being heard by something Atem didn't want to hear," Yugi started, "So he didn't tell me why or what, he only hinted there were eleven days left before something happened."

"Obv'ous, the pharaoh al'ys has to be mist'rios," Joey said, Kicking the wall beside him, "Oh 'n ya have a press conf'rence in 'bout two hours Yug."

"A what-?" Yugi asked, eyes widening. He hated talking in public.

"Yugi," Kaiba's voice rang through the room, "You have caused me a lot of trouble. Next time, remind me not to sponsor you any longer in any duels."

"Sh't up rich boy!" Joey yelled at a screen, where Kaiba's face was, "Ya ar' lucky tha' Yugi even allowed ya to sponsor him!"

"Joey, calm down," Yugi said. He stood up, watching Kaiba, "I'm going back to Domino City, I'm quitting the World Cup."

"Save it, I already know all that," he said, ignoring Joey muttering curses at him, "That's why I found someone that will convince you to stay. I think you might know him."

The camera shifted for a moment. Yugi and his friends waited in silence, except for Joey, that kept saying things like how much of an ass-hole Kaiba was.

The image finally settled and, sitting on a chair, Ehecatl gazed back at Yugi, a kid Yugi recognized from the hospital standing next to him with a bored look on him.

Joey had hushed. Everything was dead quiet. Everyone knew that Ehecatl had had a shadow game with Atem. Everyone knew what happened when you lost the shadow game, and everyone could see Ehecatl breathing and smirking… had Atem lost to him then? But that would mean that…

Eleven days and counting…

X

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><p>X<p>

Thank you for reading! Hopefully you have enjoyed!

I am wondering if you guys are willing to see more OCs than the ones already in the story for next chapters. So please tell me if that would be okay. I really have no problem writing either way therefore I will just leave it to you. So... more OCs? or not?

Any other comment? Criticism? Suggestion? Praise? They can only make me better.


	16. Chapter 16

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 16. Trust**

Last chapter: Yugi mysteriously arrived to a world of nightmares, where he finds Atem, a child. Without any time to spare, Atem gives a riddle to Yugi, who soon discovers the answer. It is an eleven day countdown. Once Yugi returns to reality, he encounters Ehecatl, grinning. But why is he alive?

****Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

Enjoy!

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

Yugi and his friends stared at the screen where Ehecatl lay; sitting on one of Kaiba's expensive looking chairs. But as they stared at each other, the thought of Atem having lost the shadow game to this person flooded Yugi's ability to think. He didn't know what to do or say. Heck! He was frozen on the spot!

"Yugi Mutou," Ehecatl began, his voice confident, but somehow, lacking something, "I must speak to you alone."

"Are ya fr'king serious!"Joey suddenly yelled to Ehecatl, raising a fist. The rest of the group echoed his protest. "We're all a team! Ya can't take us ap'rt! If ya wanna talk to Yug ya will talk to all of us!"

Something crossed Ehecatl's eyes, but before Yugi could even begin to guess what it was, it was gone. Instead, the dark-haired guy glimpsed at Yugi, raising an eyebrow questioningly. Yugi nodded. All of them were a team. If Ehecatl wanted to talk, it would be to all.

"Fine," Ehecatl said, "But if you try anything foolish, all of you will die."

"Just tell us what you are going to tell us," Tea said, her voice slightly trailing off, "Why are you with Kaiba for example."

Ehecatl grinned.

"I will tell you whatever you need to know," Ehecatl said, "but first, you must promise to stay and participate in that competition of yours Yugi Mutou."

"Hey! We ain't doing anyt'ing ya say!" Joey screamed and made for the TV, as if he could hit Ehecatl through the screen.

"Joey! Relax," Yugi said, reaching for Joey. Thankfully, he stopped, "Tell us Ehecatl, but if we can help Atem without you, the deal is off."

"As I was saying," Ehecatl continued, "I am sure you know that Atem and I are part of a shadow game, hosted by the Dark One. The thing is.-"

"What did you do to the pharaoh!"

"Shut up Tristan!" Tea sneered, kicking Tristan as hard as she could.

"Has anyone ever told you what patience is?" the kid standing beside Ehecatl spoke. He was a small kid, even smaller than what Yugi remembered, but he carried himself as if he were an adult.

"Beware of him that is slow to anger; for when it is long coming, it is the stronger when it comes, and the longer kept. Abused patience turns to fury,*"Ehecatl said standing from the chair he was in, "I'm getting tired of trying to figure out Atem's plan. And as I see, we will be stuck on the same spot if we talk like this."

Finally, everyone was quiet; all listening.

"Atem has beaten me on my own game. He has proven strong and I have bowed my allegiance to him. We are all in the same team. Whatever I do is because it is the right thing," Ehecatl said, looking deep into Yugi's eyes, "I need you to win the world cup. I don't know why but Atem has ordered it to be so."

Atem did what? Yugi blinked, searching for any hint of lies in Ehecatl's face, but his features were stone-like. Maybe it really was true that Ehecatl had decided to help out Atem. It sounded reasonable at least. He looked at the kid besides Ehecatl. He was so small and yet he was playing the same game Atem was. Yugi didn't know why or how, but for some reason, he trusted Ehecatl and the kid.

"Okay," Yugi said, "I won't quit the world cup for now."

"Ar' ya crazy Yug!" Joey pointed at the screen, his eyes unbelieving, "Las' time we s'w him he tr'd to kill us!"

"Do you have any better ideas?" Yugi asked, knowing that he might be committing the worst mistake he could manage yet. To Ehecatl, he said, "Where is Atem?"

Another prolonged silence.

"Truthfully, we do not know," Ehecatl said, "He left us orders… but did not say where he would be."

What? Yugi looked around him, so they did not know where Atem was? But if Atem had said it…

"What will happen in eleven days?"

"Eleven days?" Ehecatl asked, "How should I.-"

There was a sudden silence that dragged for a couple of minutes. Ehecatl glanced at the kid, who nodded, grinning widely.

"Eleven days you say…" Ehecatl whispered, "Simple, eleven days before Atem sets his real plan into action."

"What plan?" Yugi asked, unsure if he should have told Ehecatl about the countdown, "What will happen in eleven days?"

"I do not yet know," Ehecatl said, "but if I figure it out, I shall make sure you are the one who first knows."

"How do I know you are not lying?" Yugi asked.

"Because I desire to end this shadow game just as much as Atem and you do," Ehecatl answered, and the image went black.

Yugi stared, looking at his hands. Was that what Atem wanted him to do? To sit and wait until someone rescued him from who knows what? Biting his lip, Yugi turned around and exited the room.

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

That had gone worse than what Ehecatl had expected.

But it had worked, to some extent at least… It would not have worked with many others though. The kid was too gullible. Another mystery to add; why would a pharaoh ever be related with such a kid? They had nothing in common apart from the looks, which meant not much. The pharaoh.-No, Atem was much more than this kid. Innocence and trust were the two qualities that could kill you faster. Of course, it seemed that Atem did trust him.

"I still don't know if you really lied to him or not," Rat said, yawning, "Why would you tell him Atem said he was supposed to win the world cup?"

"Your mind is slow Rat," Ehecatl sighed, wishing Rat would be a simple normal child and would go play with some dolls, "If Yugi feeds on what 'we' tell him and keeps on dueling, we will be able to feed on Kaiba's hands."

Rat stared, his mind obviously too narrow to work fine with metaphors.

"Since we are making Yugi duel, we can ask Kaiba for anything we wish," Ehecatl annoyingly explained, "just as long as the kid keeps dueling."

"And what would that 'wish' be?" Kaiba said as he entered the room.

Ehecatl smirked; he was hoping Kaiba would hear that.

"Simple economic needs," Ehecatl answered, "Transportation, food, communication for instance."

If Ehecatl was right about Kaiba, he would not try to deny them that. He was too filthy rich to care about what he thought was trivial things. Besides, in his eyes, it would be a nice trade off. Winning millions by sponsoring Yugi in Austria made sustaining two simple souls such as Ehecatl's and Rat's near to nothing. The bait was set; he only had to wait for the bite.

"Why would I give you money for simply talking to Yugi?" Kaiba asked, "I could have done that myself."

"Yugi wouldn't have listened to you," Ehecatl said without truly believing it so, "I was the last one he saw with Atem. Atem probably told him to trust me. Not you."

It was a stretch to the truth; the only thing he could do was hope Rat had not said something to justify he was lying. Kaiba said nothing though, and so the fish bit the bait.

"First off, I need a car and a driver," Ehecatl said, "I need to start working on some things."

"I don't even want to know what you are up to," Kaiba said, turning to go, "I will send someone for you, but don't try anything funny."

Both Rat and Ehecatl nodded, sitting back down to wait for whoever was to pick them up; none of them talking. It was going to be risky, not many… scratch that, no players had Ehecatl in high esteem. He had killed many, but now he needed to bring the survivors to their side. Last he had pinpointed all of their locations a few days before Atem had arrived, but between then and now things could have changed; many of them could have moved. Eleven days were not enough to locate every single one of them again. Plus, there was a much urgent matter to tend to. The whole reason of Atem's plan in the first place…

A man opened the door to the office, nodding and making a gesture for them to follow.

As they followed him through the labyrinth that was the corporation's building, Ehecatl reassumed his thought process.

The Dark One would be watching. He would know every move they were to make in advance as a team and would be able to stop them. Even now, there was no way to even make a 'team' without The Dark One knowing of it. Ehecatl could even be walking to an ambush as he thought of it. Had Atem overseen that detail? It was not likely. If he had thought The Dark One was not watching their every move, then he would have cried his whole plan out without any problem. The fact that he had hidden the truth was proving that he knew The Dark One would be listening. Then…

"Gentlemen, is there any car you might want in particular?" the driver asked.

They were in a type of parking lot, with many, many cars, all shinny and new.

"Something that does not call forth too much attention," Ehecatl said and allowed Rat to take over the car choosing while he leaned against one and kept on thinking.

Then maybe Atem had thought of that too. It was impossible. But how else would Ehecatl speak to the other players without The Dark One knowing about it? He felt as if though Atem was standing infront of him, asking him to trust him, to lay his life on his hands and expect it to work.

Soon, they were in a car, and after some instructions from Ehecatl's part upon where one of the players he believed would accept a team invitation was, they were on their way. It was too soon to start recruiting players, but either way they did not have enough time. He would have to trust Atem… for now.

"Rat," Ehecatl said, watching as the little kid fidgeted against a cup holder.

"What?"

"We will be separating soon. Recruit as many players as you can before dawn tomorrow. Tell them to be present in Kaiba corporation in two days."

"What if they say no?" Rat asked, eyes shining with foreshadowing.

"Tell them I will kill them, or kill them yourself," Ehecatl answered, "We cannot have any players know about our plan without being part of it."

"So you think that we have eleven days free of The Dark One?"

Surprised, Ehecatl stared out the window, watching as the world blurred past him. If The Dark One was truly not watching them now, it would explain everything Atem had done so far. If it were a lie though, and The Dark One was merely waiting for the right time to attack, they were doomed. But it was better to believe there was no eavesdropping. However impossible that may sound.

"Indeed," Ehecatl answered Rat, deciding to believe so himself. A life without the creature that had destroyed his reason for existence… how he wished it to be true.

Once the collector's car dropped Ehecatl, he made a sharp turn, walking away from the main road and into a set of backstreets. These streets were known to be home to ruthless gangs though Ehecatl was unconcerned about that. It was a perfect place to find what he was looking for.

Last time he had seen her, he had been required by The Dark One to intervene between a love triangle of sorts between the players. It had been the only time that any player had had any contact with each other without any blood or bruises being given. It lasted but a couple of weeks, until the Dark One got bored and sent him to finish things up. Both men had been killed, one by the woman, and the other one by Ehecatl himself. And somehow, Ehecatl couldn't remember her hating him. Even she had said that many of her problems had been lifted from her shoulders.

Maybe he could use that as a reason for her to join him, especially because the thing she was meant to protect was no other than an enchanted bracelet given to her by the most powerful man of the world in her time, Agamemnon, her uncle, the king that had started the Trojan War.

There was movement behind him.

It was not as if he was not expecting it. He was in one of the most treacherous parts of the city. And yet, he felt his blood freeze for a heartbeat. Atem's poker face materialized infront of him and he was pulled under the shadows yet again, unable to breathe… unable to live… unable to stop desiring death. But no, there was no Atem, and under him, the cement was still hard.

If he had not frozen so suddenly, he would have been able to dodge the blow. But he didn't, and so he fell, holding his nose as he went. A man hovered over him, smiling as his prey groaned in pain.

Ehecatl needed to forget about the shadow realm. It was eating him alive, never allowing him to forget the horrid blackness and hissing shadows that had dragged him.- He shook his head, cursing Atem for having sent him to that place.

Doubling over in pain as the man kicked him, Ehecatl snarled. His mind, used to thinking despite pain, went through plan after plan, trying to figure out what to do. The best thing however, was to lie low and hope that his attackers were the ones he had been searching for.

Laughter from the gang members, a few foolish jokes and suddenly, Ehecatl was lifted by his feet, left to glance around the upside down faces. He recognized a couple, the same clueless humans that had prevented him from killing the girl years ago. They were older now, slower.

Ehecatl was about to start fighting, when one of the voices from the crowd broke through to him. He smiled; recognizing the female voice immediately, commanding, full of lust for power… the reason whyThe Dark One had chosen her to be a player. The man holding him by the feet turned him around, still upside down.

"Good mourn to you Hermione," Ehecatl said, and offered a hand for her to shake.

Hermione only stared, making no sign to accept the extended hand.

"It is not 'mourn,'" was all she said.

Ehecatl smirked.

"I thought it would be since it is almost night and I am upside down… I thought that would make it a morning to me since I am backwards from what I am meant to be?" Ehecatl said, knowing that that would have been something Atem would have said.

"I can kill you right now Ehecatl," Hermione stated, obviously annoyed. She raised a hand, "with a snap of my finger, my men could kill you."

"I am not here to fight, daughter of the swan," Ehecatl said, choosing his words carefully, "I'm here to make a deal."

"I wouldn't make a deal with a snake like you," she said, and with good reasons, "I only needed to see your 'honorific' backstabbing to know what you were; a murderer."

"Don't flatter me Hermione," Ehecatl sneered, "I know who I am. But the thing is, there is a new player; a god. He is even powerful enough to defeat The Dark One. I have seen it with my own eyes and so has Rat."

"I heard about a newbie coming into the game a few weeks back," There was curiosity in her voice. Of course the prospect of a man with power, a god, would blind her, "The Dark One too said he was some type of god…"

How convenient… Ehecatl thought, wondering how much The Dark One had said about that. It was believed that pharaohs were indeed gods, or a representation of gods. With a Greek background, it was obvious Hermione's curiosity had been spiked by it. And with The Dark One having made a reference to that, it made Ehecatl much more believable, maybe enough for Hermione to place his murderous tendencies as second in importance.

"This god," Ehecatl staggered for the slightest of seconds, "This nameless god that has penetrated this game ultimately to save us has already set his plan in motion."

Was that too far a stretch?

"This god came to save us?" she asked, "Why would he risk his soul to safe us?"

Good question…

"Because he," Ehecatl started, this was getting too complicated, "his pantheon, ancient Egyptian, as he has told me, has enrolled into a war with Greek gods, and now Zeus has punished him."

This was too much, no one would believe such story. But Hermione was alert, hearing every single word of it, suspicion in her eyes, but the rest of her body was giving her away. She actually believed it.

"If the nameless god does not safe the daughter of Helen of Troy, the whole Egyptian pantheon will be annihilated."

"What has Andromeda said to this?" she asked.

"I do not know, the nameless god has spoken to me only to convince you to join the cause," he paused for dramatic effect, "He wants a team…"

From there on he explained what he had already planned. How Atem, now a nameless being again, had spared his life and made him promise to obey his rules. How because he was the less likely person to start an uprise by uniting the players, he was the one the god had chosen to speak to them. How the god himself had blinded The Dark One for some time so they could organize their team and that when he came back, he would take charge of everything, rallying them to freedom.

It was lucky that Hermione's half-god mother made her too naïve to actually separate the lies from the truth behind his words.

"You are telling me that… The Dark One is not watching us?" Hermione asked, suspicion had mostly receded from her.

"Exactly, but we cannot simply let it by," Ehecatl said, feeling a headache forming as too much blood was in his head. That was probably the reason why he had thought such a strange story, "This is our chance to finish the game; to finally be free."

Hermione lowered her arms, and the man holding his feet let go. He landed on his back with a plump, not even trying to break the small fall. He needed to look as harmless as possible… a weakling in other words.

"And if you lie to me?" she asked.

"Then we are all ruined," Ehecatl said, and without any more to say he concluded, "The members of this 'team' will unite in two days. In Kaiba's Corporation… to get in, just say your name and your mother's name."

Hermione nodded, her gaze faraway.

"If that is all you have come to tell," she said, "you may leave. I shall spare your life."

Ehecatl returned the nod, and walking slowly, he headed back to the main street, smirking. It seemed that this unifying thing could actually work, all he had to do was find what appealed to each of the players, and they would be his….. or Atem's…

His cell phone vibrated. Ehecatl picked up, it was Rat.

"Hey, guess what? We have one less player," a pause, "Now what?"

"Tell the driver to pick me up. The night is still young," Ehecatl said, "Let us keep trying."

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

Thank you for reading! I hope you have enjoyed!

Please tell me what you think. Good or bad, I would appreciate them either way.


	17. Chapter 17

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 17. Awaken **

****Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi

Last chapter: Ehecatl convinced Yugi to keep on dueling on the World Cup with the promise that he will keep him updated. Afterwards, Ehecatl and Rat go in search for players that might join their team. Finally, Ehecatl manages to convince Hermione (daughter of Menelaus and Helen of Troy) to join by lying to her and saying Atem is truly a nameless Egyptian god that has the power to defeat The Dark One...

Enjoy!

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

After a whole night searching for those who might be willing to unite under a nameless man's command, they had managed to find six players, killing two in the process after they had refused to swear their loyalty to Atem. It was much better than Ehecatl had thought though, much better. He had thought that no one at all was going to be willing, but there it was, against all odds. The players were desperate, believing that this new leader could bring them final peace… or simply thinking it as committing suicide.

'Dark times are upon us, but soon they shall be lifted and what we thought was danger will be our weapon of choice…Unity.'

That's what Ehecatl had said to them when all the players that had accepted to join the plan were sitting stiffly in one of Kaiba's offices some time ago. All of them had been stripped from their weapons. They knew Ehecatl was someone who knew not honor and would backstab them. And by the gods, Ehecatl knew they were right. Yet, there they were, scarred, tired, knowing that by being there they would most certainly die. And what was worse, the ones they were meant to protect would go down with them.

After painful hours where shouts and rage had been too common and a couple of hidden knives had been drawn, Ehecatl had given up. It was easier to kill The Dark One alone than trying to convince so many different cultures, believes, gods, that working together was their best bet.

That was when Hermione had spoken. In her life as a Greek princess she had learned to rally her people into believing and giving their lives for the cause, even though she had never been a queen worth mentioning in myths. But who knew, maybe she had acquired Menelaus's ability to convince. And it seemed right, for was she not daughter of the man who had started the Trojan War to get his wife back?

Whatever it had been, she had spoken like a true leader, and her words had mingled with images and beauty that none of the players had heard in many years. She explained that Atem was a nameless Egyptian god, thrown from grace and obligated to help them defeat The Dark One in order to return to the position he had rightfully behold. Then Rat had thrown some details of how powerful he was and how, if The Dark One fought one in one with him, he would win. Ehecatl was left to assent and give small talk since no one would believe him. Apart from that, Hermione was the one that had made it work even though one of the players kept objecting… a Roman Catholic to be more precise.

He kept saying that 'gods' did not exist, that only God existed. But at the end, he too agreed to the plan, apparently realizing that, at least, this nameless 'god' was powerful.

Now, they were all waiting for Ehecatl's call to confirm the time when they would have their last meeting. The day after today, the countdown would reach zero, and who knew what would happen. But they would be ready, with a web of communication that The Dark One would be unable to detect.

After the meeting, the players had left to meditate and weigh the pros and contras, leaving Ehecatl restless.

He walked towards the bathroom, eyeing his bed as it called to him. It was barely five A.M., but so many things his mind was trying to grasp, that he knew it would be impossible to go back to sleep now, even with the sleeping pills Kaiba had given him. They only tired him more when he needed to be awake.

Shoving some random t-shirt over his head, he fumbled for a few seconds with the microphone that would allow him to speak to Kaiba's workers at will. Soon he would have to give all of this up, even the free food. He was already meant to be dead, no need to suddenly have allied himself with Kaiba to make The Dark One suspect even more. Once dressed, he walked out of his old apartment, wondering if he should buy some beer and stack up before his unlimited money access would be cut off. It was very tempting, but he decided against it.

Yesterday, Yugi Mutou had arrived in Domino City, holding the world cup's title of course; and even more obvious, requesting to see Ehecatl immediately. Yugi had won; there was no need for Ehecatl and Rat to be around Kaiba corp anymore.

Clicking a button in the microphone's cord, he requested a ride to Yugi Mutou's home.

It wasn't long before a jet-black car stopped infront of the building and Ehecatl was on his way.

"Good morning Mr. Ehecatl," the driver said, "There might be a lot of traffic as we get near the Game Shop, many fans decided to camp outside the shop for some reason."

Perfect…

"It's fine," Ehecatl said, "Has there been any calls from my friends this morning?"

'Friends,' how else would he call the other players? Even the word was hard to pronounce.

"Only Ms. Hermione," the driver said, "she said everything was peaceful on her end."

Ehecatl nodded, a yawn catching him unguarded. After having spent several nights under the influence of caffeine and some exquisite wine, he had been able to come up with a plan, or a book more likely. Hidden within the book, everything that had been agreed about the new pathetic team lay; how to communicate with the players without being spotted by The Dark One for example…

Another yawn. By now he was getting used to them, but today he had wanted to look at least presentable before Yugi Mutou. Now the best thing to hope for would be to not fall asleep as Ehecatl explained Yugi's new bound job in the game.

With something close to annoyance, Ehecatl realized that the heavy traffic had not been a lie. Infront of them, cars after cars were lined up, whether going to work or wanting to catch a glimpse of the duel monsters' champion. Either way, it was obvious no one would get to their destination any time soon.

Pulling his hoodie over his head, he exited the car. The driver complained about it, but Ehecatl only waved him away as he walked further into the traffic on foot. There was no time to waste. Yugi needed to know what he was going to be doing before anything else could happen.

About three long blocks from where he had started walking, the crowd began to disperse. It seemed that the police had restricted the access to the Game Shop's whole block; with some police cars and cops pushing a crowd of raging fangirls back. It was all too silly to behold. Why would one kid be so important to them?

He chuckled at the irony, knowing that Yugi was too, an important piece of Atem's chess game…

"Sir," one of the cops said as Ehecatl kept on walking, "You cannot be here. This is a restricted area."

Ehecatl took showed the man the card that Seto Kaiba had given him upon his request, saying that he was a high-rank worker in Kaiba's Corporation. For a moment, the cop looked at him warily, but finally he was able to keep on walking without anyone weighing him down. He truly was going to miss the protection that Kaiba was giving him.

Without the oppressing crowd that was left behind, the street seemed soulless; except for a man outside the shop itself. He seemed to be sweeping the floor with an old broom, fumbling to himself and casting annoyed glances at the empty street.

"That kid should know his responsibilities," the old man was saying, "Of course he won the World Cup thing, but even so he should be helping his poor old gramps clean the shop."

Something stirred within Ehecatl, and he noticed with cold calculating eyes that he could simply kill Yugi Mutou right now. It would be too easy. Yugi was already trapped within the building and his grandfather seemed too useless to do anything more than sweep the floor and complain about his grandson. But that would be a mistake… or not? What would Ehecatl lose if he killed this kid? But most important yet, what would he win? A simply sudden lust for blood this was, without any thought to it. There was a chance though, that his god, Huitchilopoztli, was calling to him. He was surely wondering why he had stopped offering him blood and the hearts of the innocent. What could Ehecatl answer to him then? That he was done killing for deities that had proven unhelpful? He felt adrenaline running through his veins as he showed the card to the old man and ventured into the store.

Ehecatl couldn't kill that kid though; his god's thirst for blood would have to wait. All that mattered was to follow the plan without off-tracking.

"Atem?" Yugi's voice reached Ehecatl's ears, "Please tell me it's you… please."

Ehecatl did not answer but rather gazed around.

There were many toys in the store, aisle after aisle of them. Most of them were board games, though the most abundant type were the endless packets of duel monster cards.

Ehecatl took a few steps towards them, noticing that there were different types of packets; some were light type cards, others aqua type, fire type, and so on. He grabbed one of the dark packets and was about to open it when a hand reached for it and placed it neatly back where it belonged. The hand was Yugi's.

"Where is Atem?" the kid asked. There was a light in his eyes that took Ehecatl by surprise as he looked at him; a fighter's glint.

Ehecatl's eyes narrowed.

"I do not yet know," Ehecatl said, "I said I would tell you when I knew."

"It's been too long though," the kid said, "I want to know… I 'need' to know."

Nodding, Ehecatl began to explain once more what he had already explained to all the players. To cover up for Atem's disappearance though, he explained how Atem was in some type of danger, and that it was up to Yugi to pass on messages to the other players through his answers to radio and TV media when he was called by reporters. The messages however, would be given to him by short notes and the way to deliver each of them would be hidden within the pages of a book he was to check out of the school's library two days from now.

All the way Yugi listened. His eyes lay fixed on Ehecatl and when he was done explaining, he walked away, nodding.

Now, it was time to wait… maybe a nap would do the trick.

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

The chill of the morning made its bones ache.

It was not until it had circled around the morgue building for a couple of times that the tip of its wings could be felt. To those below him it would probably seem as a bad omen. A crow-type of bird, black as a sun-less sky, could be considered something out of a stereotypical movie. A crow ready to feast on the eyes of the damned souls…

Except it was not a crow. It was a raven. The thought of being confused by one of those brain-eating animals disgusted it. A raven was much better than a crow; purer. Though at the moment, it would have been more than glad to rip apart those sharp violet eyes and feed on them while he was still alive, screaming in agony and pain as blood returned to his body.

But had it not chosen the young ancient warrior to be part of its game merely because of this? The intelligence it had expected to see had indeed been there.

_Wake up ancient young warrior…_ it said while cawing sadistically towards the building, _the fourteen days have come to an end. Awake. The shadow game must keep going._

_X_

* * *

><p><em>X<em>

The pain was dull… or maybe it was simply the memory of pain that made his chest hurt. Everything was dark. He tried to bring his hand to his forehead but it would not respond. Stiffly, he breathed in and out, in and out, wondering if he was alive or had simply missed something that The Dark One had managed to use against him. He was too tired to think.

A sound brought his attention above him. It was the rattling of metal against metal; something so familiar that it seemed taken out of those American mystery series that Yugi's grandpa used to watch. He could not place the sound though.

"So how did this young woman die?" someone asked and a dim light filtered in, illuminating Atem's world. A silver box.

"Six bullets," a female answered, "But the killer was the one to the head."

Atem's throat was dry, and just as his hand, it would not budge at his command. He was paralyzed in the spot, damned to hear this people talk of death and bullet holes. Closing his eyes, he prayed to Thoth for guidance, wishing to know where he was.

The metal sound came again and clicked with a definite end, leaving Atem submerged in darkness. How would he ever be able to get out of this place if he could not move? A sudden flash blinded him and he heard The Dark One's voice commanding him to awake. That was when the burning started.

First it was deep within his chest, crawling ever so slowly towards his neck and toes. He gritted his teeth and the pain attacked his heart. He could not scream though. It was as if his vocal cords were sewed in place, frozen forever. His neck began to burn, and then his face, until even the tips of his ears were burning. Then the sensation crawled down. Every inch of his body came to life, churning and moving, his fingers twitching uncontrollably.

Atem heard an ear piercing sound far away. It came and went mercilessly as if it was alive and was following the rhythm of his own heart, just like the waves of pain that swept through him now.

Bump, bump buuump… Bump, bump, buuump…

It ailed. And soon, whatever he had had in his stomach made an ungracious return. It smelled the same way as the liquid where the dead frogs floated in Yugi's science classroom.

The lights came on once more, and his body was pulled out of its silver box and into a small room full of drawers. A human body was neatly placed on a cold-looking table, illuminated with a bright light next to him.

Despite the constant pain, Atem was able to imagine himself under one of those lights, stiff and naked.

People gazed down at him; some tried to hold his arms and legs, but most of them only stared in clear shock.

"He's alive!" one of them shrieked, "How is that possible!"

"Shut up and call the paramedics!" the woman from earlier ordered while grabbing Atem's head and pulling it down. Her hands were hot, almost too hot for the touch to be bearable.

Somehow, Atem thought he had been able to formulate questions through the ear-piercing sound that were his screams because the woman had started talking slowly in his ear.

"...Okay, no one will hurt you now," she kept saying, "You will soon feel better."

Another question might have poured out of Atem's mouth.

"You are in the morgue," she said, forcing Atem's eyes away from the people around them as they did something with needles in his body. One of them shrieked, reporting that there was blood running through Atem's veins.

"Impossible," a man said, "I myself drained his blood and refilled him with formaldehyde! There shouldn't be any blood flowing!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that very man running out of the room in panic.

Again, another question might have had escaped Atem's mouth, but to him, it was all noise.

"It's okay," the woman said and caressed Atem's cheek as if that could make him feel any better, "We are going to warm you up before the cold freezes your blood again. I-It is a miracle that you are alive you know?"

X

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><p>X<p>

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

What do you think about it? Criticism? Too much? Too little? Suggestions? Questions? I would be very glad to hear anything indeed. And again with my main question... what do you think of my OCs?


	18. Chapter 18

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 18. One Destiny**

****Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi\

Last Chapter: The team is ready... Atem is back... and The Dark One hungers for knowledge...

Enjoy!

X

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><p>X<p>

The sun's rays filtered through the drawn curtains of the hospital room, casting long shadows here and there; all of which surrounded with apparent calm at the once-upon-a-pharaoh that lay on the bed. But the pharaoh moved not. Only his breathing and the soft blinking of his eyes exposed the fact that he was alive.

And opposite to the undisturbed peace that reigned across the room, Atem's mind was in chaos. In his daydreams, the pain he had felt when he awoke kept coming back, and the shadows kept trying to devour Yugi's soul. No matter what he did, they were always faster than him. It was like a game that played over and over in his mind without any other ending but a bid sign reading 'Game Over.'

The Dark One's laugh always echoed in the background.

Atem sat up, grabbing the side of the bed for support. His head began spinning, and it was not until a good couple of minutes later that he was able to gaze around. Stuck in a hospital again… It seemed that people nowadays had run out of ideas upon what to do with suddenly alive dead people. At least he was not in some type of laboratory after his blood had 'miraculously' reappeared in his body though. He already had too much to deal with to have to think of ways of escaping a lab full of maniacs.

A knock on the window forced his thoughts away from the past and into the present.

Atem knew who it was, and yet, he rolled off the bed, barely able to place his feet underneath him. As his muscles strained and pulled for the first time in two weeks, a wave of tiredness swept through his body. He ignored it.

The tap in the window grew impatient at Atem's lack of speed as he neared the sound, shoving the curtains aside slowly; testing every muscle and bone to see how much movement they might be able to uphold. Not much by the looks of it. Either way, Atem was rather glad that apart from his lack of appetite, things were fine. Both his mind and body were working, which meant he could begin to worry about much more important things.

He wondered if Ehecatl had been able to guess what he needed of him AND if he had believed there was no other chance of beating The Dark One but to follow his plan. Throughout his sleepless night, he had not been able to stop thinking of how bad an idea this all had been. There were so many loopholes and things that could go wrong that it seemed as if he were walking into a trap set by his own hands. But if the plan had worked, then there was not only Yugi who he was meant to keep alive now, but whoever had agreed to Ehecatl's terms.

The tap on the window came again. Atem strained his eyes to see against the blinding morning sun. His guess had been right. A raven was perched on the edge of the window sill, cawing.

Atem stared at it for a long time, trying to decide how much information, if any, The Dark One already knew. He sighed, and the raven's eyes met his, like daggers to the heart, like a threat to destroy their plan, like a promise to kill them all.

Atem opened the window, watching calmly as the raven flew inside and perched on the table beside his bed. It pecked at Atem's food quietly for some time without even a side glance to the man that had locked him away for days on end. Atem sighed, his patience drowning all too quickly. He waited for a moment longer, but the raven kept eating the apple pudding with no sign of being something else but a starving creature.

As if.

After an eternity, the raven finished the whole plate, only ignoring the mysterious pills that had appeared next to the food a couple of hours ago. Soon, its pearly black eyes were digging once more on Atem's.

_Good morning ancient young warrior… It is such a lovely day to be alive do you think not? _

Atem did not answer but simply held the killer's gaze.

_Such bad manners you have… But do tell me why the winged serpent is not dead…_

Atem smirked; at least he now knew Ehecatl was indeed alive. Now he needed to know if he had managed to get the other players together as one. As in right now, chances seemed promising.

_The deal was that we would both be away for fourteen days IF the winged serpent died at your hands… yet he is alive…_

"Exactly, I said 'IF I kill him,' which I did," Atem said, "His body was dead since his soul was under my power. But when I died, his soul was freed."

There was a moment of silence as The Dark One took the whole matter in.

_Tricky move… just as all of your moves that I have seen… I do wonder however what you have planned. It has been so very long since I was challenged by one of my players. This will be fun…_

Atem kept his smirk in place, though he could feel it twitching slightly at the words. Fun? Was that what The Dark One thought? Fun? He shook his head, knowing as he gazed at his enemy that he already had some guesses about the plan. For all Atem knew, The Dark One might already know everything there was to be known. It could not be as hard. It would take only one of the players in the team to betray the whole plan. This was too much. The plan was probably already ruined by now, everything ruined.

_Of course there is one way for you and the 'king of games' to survive this whole mess… The winged serpent has refused to tell me, and for that I will punish that who he is meant to protect. But you are wiser than him; you know what is best for Yugi Mutou. Do you not?_

Atem tried to work his way around the meaning of the raven's words. If Ehecatl had not said anything it could mean two things; that he had never discovered what Atem wanted him to do, or that he had succeeded and there were several other players under his command. But that could not be enough to allow the one Ehecatl was meant to protect to be hurt. Atem would not do it anyway.

_Tell me young ancient warrior. Tell me what you have planned, and I will forgive you for cheating. Tell me and I myself will see that no harm befalls Yugi Mutou from my part… It is a promise, just like the one you used to lock us away. Join me, and you will be free… _

The words shocked Atem, making his heart beat painfully hard against his chest. The Dark One was someone he could not trust. But if he promised to leave Yugi and him alone and apply it as a rule to the Yami No Game, then he would not be able to break it. Yugi would be safe then.

It was such a sudden turn in the game that Atem's mind was simply thrown into chaos once more and though he tried to see a trap in The Dark One's plans, he could not find it. Only that he would leave Rat and Ehecatl to fend for themselves. But they had done it just fine without Atem around before. Maybe just maybe…

The Dark One was waiting for an answer.

"You must make it a rule,"Atem said, "If I tell you what Ehecatl has planned under my orders, then Yugi and I are immune to anything and anyone that relates to this Yami No Game."

There was a grin behind the raven's face as he nodded.

_Fine then… let the shadow game's rules change just like before… Now tell me._

Atem closed his eyes. This was the right thing to do. There was nothing else to it. If Yugi was safe, nothing else mattered.

"I brought Ehecatl back from the dead becau.-"

"Stop!" someone cried out just as the door to Atem's hospital room swinged open, revealing Yugi, "You can't do that pharaoh! He's lying! Whatever he says! You know he's lying!"

The world stopped; every second expanding into infinite moments, except for Yugi who hurried towards him while the raven screeched horridly in one long caw. Either way, Atem was frozen in place, watching Yugi as he grabbed a lamp and threw it at the raven, which startled, flew and landed on the IV fluids' post. Yugi took off one of his shoes and threw it. It hit the fluids, spilling them everywhere.

The raven screamed and shrieked, though it sounded more of a hysterical laugh than actual anger.

_The kid has come to bring the ancient young warrior to his senses… maybe he thinks I am untrustworthy… how very right he is. Do you not think so?_

"Stop playing with Atem's mind!" Yugi yelled and threw his other shoe, "We aren't going to do anything you say!"

The raven flew out the window without another word. And all the while, Atem stood there, as if he was a spirit without a body or a voice of its own. He was not sure why he did nothing though.

And then it hit him. By being protected by The Dark One and speaking of the 'team,' he would have been a target to all the other players, as if they were all pigs and Yugi and Atem were the master's favorites so they would never be slaughtered by him. So much jealousy would arise from being under The Dark One's wing that it would be more dangerous than to be one of the pigs on the slaughter list.

Gazing at Yugi, Atem knew that that had not been the reason why Yugi had suddenly intervened in this, after probably having eavesdropped while in the hallway. It was Yugi. He was doing it because he wanted Atem to save the rest of the players, not simply himself. But how much did he know about the plan?

"Yugi," Atem started when he saw that Yugi had made no motion to turn his attention from the window to him, "He was promising to not hurt you."

Yugi shrugged and closed the window, still glancing at it.

"I just thought it was the best thing to do," Atem said, wondering if he had ever seen Yugi acting like this before. He had… the day he almost killed Kaiba in Pegasus's tournament.

"What about them?" Yugi asked quietly, "They united because they think you can save them from all of this."

It was Atem's turn to remain silent. As a side-thought though, he hoped The Dark One was not listening.

"And how is taking the easy way out good?" his back was still turned to Atem, "You taught me that there was always a way out no matter how bad things seemed."

Yugi turned around, allowing their eyes to lock. Atem could see the pain in those eyes but his mind had come to a stop. There was nothing he could say to make Yugi feel better. After all he had done to try and help Yugi since he came back. It was turning out that he was hurting him even more than anything else.

"We are supposed to be partners Atem," Yugi said, "but you keep acting on your own. I bet you haven't even noticed how weak is our link compared to before."

A thousand daggers stabbed Atem's soul.

"Yugi, I just…" Atem tried to say, but his voice trailed off.

"You think you can protect me by yourself," Yugi said, "But remember what Shadi and Ishizu said a long time ago?"

Atem broke their eye contact, staring at the damp tiles that made up the floor.

"They said that we were supposed to learn from each other, remember?" Yugi continued, "I was supposed to learn from you just as much as you were supposed to learn from me."

Yugi was right.

The tile was the color of cream.

"You went away not only because it was time for you to go back where you belonged," Yugi said with an edge to his voice that was more defensive than aggressive.

"We parted because we were ready," Atem finished, knowing exactly what had hurt Yugi so much now.

Yugi nodded.

"I guess you would be better off if I were dead," Atem said, stealing a glimpse of Yugi's face, afraid of what he might find.

"You are wrong," Yugi answered, "I don't know why you are here, but I know I'm glad you are."

Atem sighed, wishing that Yugi would simply scream at him like; which was what he deserved. But if that was to happen, then Yugi wouldn't be Yugi.

"I won't forgive you this time though," Yugi said, and Atem's wish changed; wanting to go back in time and fix everything he had done wrong, "but someone once said that I was the one who solved the millennium puzzle and that it meant our destinies were going to cross."

"But they were meant to uncross years ago, do you not see that?" Atem asked, forcing himself to look into Yugi's eyes again, "I am not 'meant' to be here any longer. I will only cause pain."

"No," Yugi said smiling, "Once our destinies crossed, they were meant to stay together, even if we were separated. I would be nothing without you. Everything I am is because of you. Our destinies are only one destiny."

"I don't…"

Yugi stretched his hand and offered it to Atem.

"Come on pharaoh," Yugi said, "Let me be your partner once again and fight off The Dark One for good, together."

Atem smiled slightly, biting his tongue.

"Very well Yugi, but on one condition," Atem said and crossed his arms over his chest as if to make his point, "You must allow me to be your partner too."

"Always," Yugi said.

Suddenly Atem was chuckling, and soon he was laughing openly, uncaring of every bad thing that had happened.

Yugi's confused face was worth millions.

"What's so funny?" Yugi asked, but he was already laughing too, "How can you laugh after I said all of that?"

The truth was, Atem really did not know. He could not remember ever laughing so hard. So he just said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Your voice cracked."

X

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><p>X<p>

Not even an hour after the nurse had found Yugi and Atem dying of laughter standing over the IV fluids and a broken lamp, Kaiba had made a deal with the hospital of letting Atem out with the promise that he would be back every day for checkups and the such. It was still a lot, but it was better than to sleep in the hospital with no way of getting in contact with the other players.

But today he had decided to let everything go. Just for a couple of hours, that is.

Yugi took Atem to the video game place, where they played against other players and the computer. Never against one another.

Just as Atem had started to warm up to the alien buttons, Joey and the rest of the gang came along and they were finally able to make that trip to Burger World that they had planned on the first day. Bottom line was, burgers were good, very different from the rice based food that Japanese people always seemed to have.

Tomorrow Atem would get his head in the game again. But not today; no, today he would enjoy what he had longed for throughout many, many years: to belong.

X

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><p>X<p>

I hope you have enjoyed!

And Dark Destinies has reached it's peak.

Tell me what you think! Any suggestions, comments, criticism? Oh and one question from my part... What do you think is Atem's greatest fear? And Yugi's?


	19. Chapter 19

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 19. The Book's Secret**

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

Last chapter: The Dark One tried to convince Atem to give up. Luckily, before Atem accepted his enemies conditions, Yugi arrived and managed to get some sense into Atem. Once the pharaoh was allowed to leave the hospital afterward, Yugi and the gang decided to have fun and help Atem forget everything that had been happening for the rest of the day.

Enjoy!

X

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><p>X<p>

The moon hung low in the horizon, disappearing behind clouds as they made their way across the sky. Atem's outline gave off a soft glow as he leaned against the balcony's railing; gazing at the city beyond.

Yugi watched him while lying on Joey's couch. He gazed at the clock. Atem had been standing there without moving for half an hour already.

Yesterday had been a tiring day with all the things they had done together with the others. Almost for a moment, Yugi had forgotten that Atem had been a pharaoh three thousand years ago, and he was sure Atem had too. But as he watched the lonely shape of the king, an overwhelming sadness swept through him. Atem had hinted it yesterday while eating a burger, saying that in 'ancient' Egypt they did not have that type of food. None of their friends had truly seen anything wrong with Atem saying that. None except Yugi.

He wondered how Atem's life had changed; but it just didn't fit his mind. He couldn't imagine being taken away from his friends and family and dropped in a world that had nothing to do with his. Neither the food nor the clothes, nor even the language was the same. And the worst part was that Yugi knew he was powerless to help him; every time he had managed to cheer him up, Atem would simply fall back into that longing state, and even though he tried to hide it, Yugi could feel Atem's emotions through their now stronger link. It was still weak, but Atem had promised to accept Yugi. Their bond had somehow become better. And it all had happened in a few hours.

The clock read four thirty-two A.M. and though it was still dark outside, the street's noise was already rising enough so that Yugi could not even try to doze off again. It was not that he disliked sleeping in Joey's apartment. He was really glad Joey had allowed them to stay, not that he needed any convincing. It was just the fact that Atem couldn't go into Yugi's home that maddened him the most. The raven simply wouldn't allow them to stop thinking of the game they were in. It was probably his way of trying to convince Atem that he didn't belong… he did though…even if his time period was too far.

Quietly, Yugi stood. There was no way that he could go back to sleep with Joey's snores, the street noise, and Atem's troubled mind. Careful of not stepping on Joey who had fallen asleep on the floor watching T.V. some hours ago, he made his way to the balcony, halting next to his partner.

"Pardon me if I have awakened you Yugi," Atem said.

"It's cool," Yugi answered, "I was not sleepy anyway."

Atem nodded and kept on gazing at the city. Following his gaze, Yugi couldn't find anything but buildings and streets, nothing out of the ordinary… of course…

"How much do you miss it?" Yugi asked, "Egypt, I mean."

"Too much," Atem murmured, and signaled shortly at the sky, "The stars are the same to those I grew up under."

Yugi looked up, only a few stars could be seen from here. He had never really even paid attention to them before. In Domino City, the night sky simply meant it was the end of the day.

"I thought I would be used to this world by now," the pharaoh said, "I was mistaken."

"I wish I knew how you truly feel," Yugi whispered and a flickering street light caught both of their attentions.

"No you do not," Atem said, "I chose this path long ago. Even then I knew there would be consequences."

Yugi was surprised to hear that. Atem's world had changed a lot, but for it to be a punishment? After saving the world? Was that what Atem had been thinking all along? He couldn't keep from asking.

"You think it's a punishment?"

Atem sighed.

"Yes, of sorts… maybe," his sigh became a frustrated groan as he slipped his head between his hands, slightly massaging his temples.

Yugi waited as the pharaoh was lost in thought, wondering if he would try to clarify himself.

"You know I have no answer to that," Atem said, "Maybe I simply got caught in this Yami No Game because I am not meant to be anywhere anymore."

Startled, Yugi's wide eyes met Atem's serene ones, as if what he had said was completely normal… as if he had not saved humanity so many times. Why was he saying that? It was just like in the hospital when he was willing to give everything up without a fight. And now was he saying he wasn't meant to be anywhere? And then the word 'anywhere' really did strike him… not even the afterlife?

"Do not worry though," Atem said, pushing away from the railing, "I will never give up. The Dark One's game will come to an end."

And what would happen after that? Yugi asked quietly, but instead forced a smile.

"You should get some sleep," the pharaoh said, "Do you not have school in a couple of hours?"

"Yeah… What about you though?" Yugi rubbed his eyes, "The doctors said you should rest, too."

Atem nodded, and without another word headed back into the apartment with Yugi trailing behind.

If only grandpa had allowed Yugi to skip school tomorrow he would have been able to talk to the pharaoh and try to, at least, understand him a bit more. Once his head hit the pillow though, his thoughts mingled and swam aimlessly through his mind… The world vanished as he slipped into a troubled sleep where he was Atem and couldn't understand how the world was round and not flat.

X

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><p>X<p>

How was the earth round? Well… that was a question Atem had only stopped to think a couple of times before, though it wasn't that much harder than to accept the fact that humans could control electricity and get light by the simple click of a switch. However, he did wonder what Yugi was dreaming about.

"…can't be… how come you don't fall off the edge …?" Yugi babbled in his sleep.

The answer to that was gravity, Atem thought immediately as he looked at the ceiling.

"I refuse… I won't go with you… you can fall off the ledge of… world by yourself…"

Atem smiled. What in the name of Ra was Yugi dreaming about? It felt good to smile and forget the gnawing sorrow that ate at his skin though. Even while sleeping, Yugi seemed to always be there to help him. For a moment, he allowed his mind to cling to Yugi's nonsense of words as if they were lifesavers. In some way, they were.

"Stop… man cannot fly… only birds."

What? Atem chuckled. He had believed birds were the only ones that could fly long ago… not anymore though.

The hours ticked by and even though Yugi had finally ceased talking, sleep would not come. He knew it was wrong to keep thinking of Egypt, but sometimes he could not help it. He drowned in memories of his childhood, of his first days as the pharaoh, every little thing he could recall. They were the memories that he had fought to retrieve alongside Yugi. They were something close to a drug. At first, when the remembrance started, it felt good, but once it ended, Atem could feel himself being plunged into a deeper state of longing. And then a new memory was brought before his eyes and the whole thing would repeat itself. Each time, Atem's chest grew with pain.

But it was enough of that. Atem shook his head, forcing the memories back. Grieving for something long lost was not going to save anyone. In fact, it was keeping him from concentrating in ways he could win this Yami No Game.

Silently, he turned the closest night-lamp on, stopping just enough to make sure neither Yugi nor Joey would find that disturbing. If it did, he could not tell.

He grabbed a book from the small table infront of the couch. They had been to the library the day before against Joey's and Tristan's complains to check it out. Yugi had said Atem needed to read it due to the fact that it was very interesting. But something had not been right about Yugi's mood when he had said that. As if the book was cursed.

Glancing at the cover, Atem noticed there was no title; in fact there was only the image of a bunch of symbols, one of them being the eye of Horus. The book was in English and though he had never spoken it, Yugi had taken several years of it in school, enough for Atem to be able to understand most of the words.

He opened it and immediately, the pencil strokes in the inner-side of the cover caught his attention. There was some type of sketched snake; though it appeared that attached to it were feathers… a winged serpent? Ehecatl. Around the drawing were the numbers three and eight. Atem narrowed his eyes before flipping to page thirty-eight. There he found the picture of the winged serpent carved in stone. The heading read 'Quetzalcoatl.' Reading a bit, he discovered that Quetzalcoatl was in fact a powerful god to the Aztecs. He wondered if Ehecatl worshipped him. But no, that was not what he was looking for. Not that he knew what it was either way.

Joey sighed and punched his pillow.

'It is s id that Quetza coat was the god of intelligence and sky. One of the most powerf l god th t…"

Hold on… Atem read the heading again and then the sentence. There were two l's missing from the name Quetzalcoartl. Narrowing his eyes even more, Atem read the sentence again. There was an 'a' missing from 'said' too.

Together they would say 'All.' Of course that could just be a coincidence and the book had simply some mistakes in it. He caught other letters missing and before he had finished the first paragraph, he had a complete phrase.

'All us are seven.'

Atem could feel a grin creeping into his lips…Ehecatl, Rat, four other players, and himself. Atem could vaguely believe the team idea had actually worked, let alone Ehecatl finding a way of communicating almost directly to Atem. He would have to be extra careful.

Hours came past, and before six, Atem had deciphered one more thing.

'Three ways communicate' 'Yugi' 'wrappers in drain' 'book with How To Cookiling-Do'

Atem re-read the whole thing. He wondered how much Yugi knew about this; probably enough to know how to get messages to the others. Yet, it sounded too dangerous to actually use him that way. Of course if the other players were already expecting Yugi to act as a messenger then it meant Yugi was already in danger.

The wrappers in the drains just sounded foolish. But then again, they were meant to sound like that to make it even less likely for The Dark One to discover. Once thought of that, it seemed like a pretty good idea if the wrapper actually was able to tell the others where it was under the hundreds of miles worth of sewers in Domino City. Still, he would have to trust, probably Rat, to retrieve them.

The last one, well, it sounded too open. Atem believed that it was the same type of thing Ehecatl had done with this book. Meaning that it was a one time thing and he did not know which of the players would be reading it first.

For some time, he played with the idea of writing these things down, but if he did that, Ehecatl could have simply written down all of this in a note and hide it in the book. Instead, he committed everything to memory which was rather hard, especially while he searched the missing letters of the language he was not used to. He needed a dictionary to read this correctly.

Joey's alarm clock went off, and if Atem had not been so tired, he would have thrown it out the window.

X

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><p>X<p>

Dam'mit! H'rry up Yug we're late!" Joey yelled, grabbing a cold piece of pizza from the counter.

"Since when are you so worried of being late?" Yugi asked but stood from the chair he had been sitting in the kitchen and grabbed his backpack.

Atem simply bit down on his toast, trying to zoom them out as he concentrated on the letters in the book's page.

"Wait, what about you pharaoh?" Yugi asked, "I really wish I could stay."

"I will actually walk with you two to school," Atem said, "I fear The Dark One will take his chances against you."

He could hear Yugi sighing, most likely wondering if Atem thought he was a kid.

"I will not risk it," Atem said and stood, ready to go.

Soon enough, all three of them were waiting for the elevator. There, Atem grabbed the hood from the jacket Yugi had given him earlier and placed it up, flattening his hair through-fully so the hood could actually fit around his head.

"I'm sorry," Yugi said automatically.

Atem only shook his head slightly. It was worthless to ask for forgiveness. Two Yugi's would raise too many questions .Hopefully though, the hood would be enough to keep their lingering eyes off of Atem.

The door to the elevator opened. Inside, Atem glimpsed at his hair from the reflection that he managed to get from the glazy walls. There was a huge bump on top of his head that annoyed him. This was going to be impossible without anything to actually hold it down. He sighed silently but was soon absorbed by Joey's light talk about the many make-up work they were going to have after having missed school for two weeks.

But whether it was good or bad, none of them made the slightest reference to Atem's attempt to cover his hair. Not until Tea and Tristan joined them a few blocks away from their school that is.

Instantly, Tea fixed Atem up as they walked; her eyes full with concentration as if hair was at all important. But that was Atem's point of view. Tea clearly took it seriously.

She took the hood off and from her backpack produced several lean, black things that she called hair-pins. There were a lot of them. Later, she sprayed his hair with some weird smelling chemical and placed the hoodie back up, leaving some of his yellow highlights showing and bits of black and red that she managed to bring out. She gave him thumbs up when she was done.

"Thank you Tea," Atem said, "It seems you were prepared for that."

Tea smiled.

"I was," she said, slashing the air infront of her with might in a rather childish matter. Then she stuttered as if realizing just that, "I-I just thought about it yesterday night. You know, I just… never mind."

Atem simply nodded again. Maybe he could hang around the school's limits without calling forth too much attention with the hood neatly on place. He needed to keep an eye on Yugi at all cost.

Once Atem parted with them, he wasted no time. He rounded the campus several times, searching for ways a non-student could get in. It was unlikely that there would be students that were also players, so he focused in keeping a close eye in anyone slightly mysterious.

When he was done analyzing the outskirts of the school, he sat under the oak tree and allowed the shadows to hide him from passing people just as he had done the first day back.

He opened the book and kept reading. It was a very tiring process that required not only skills that he barely possessed which included principally English grammar, but also a sharp mind. The sleepless night was catching up to him… he felt his eyes heavy, having to re-read complete passages to find nothing. But soon, another message was revealed. A question.

'Are you alive?'

Taken aback, Atem wondered what it meant. But then he truly already knew… he had never told Ehecatl he would be back. It was obvious he was not being expected back. After all, death is something meant to be irreversible, and when magik did not play its toll, it was indeed permanent. But had Ehecatl really altered this whole book without believing Atem would be back?

He stood and walked around the school again, knowing this specific question required immediate answer. Easily enough, he found a wrapper and a stray pen, marking a lazy 'Y' in it. Then he smiled and began scribbling in his arm as if the whole point was to make sure the pen worked upon the wrapper to use it on his skin. Not too bright but enough to put it off as a normal thing.

Not a minute later, Atem 'accidentally' dropped the wrapper into the storm drain and went back to his spot to keep on his work.

Soon, things were due to speed up.

X

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><p>X<p>

Thank you!

I am deeply sorry due to the lateness of this chapter. No excuses.

Suggestions? Comments? Questions? And my question still prevails, what is the Atem's and Yugi's greatest fear?


	20. Chapter 20

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 20. Ever Watching**

****Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

Last chapter: It was no secret that Atem missed Egypt enough to call the modern era a curse. But with his duty to protect Yugi and the ones that are united under his command, things could be much more worse.

Enjoy!

X

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><p>X<p>

The weeks came past, every day a repetition of the previous one; waiting for Yugi to get out of school, going to the hospital to get 'check ups' right afterwards. It was a wonder that he had not been dissected already with the dozens of doctors that usually surrounded him. And though messages were being constantly sent from player to player, the knowledge received was beginning to be worthless. Most of the time they were simple things such as the sighting of players that did not belong to the group fighting amongst each other or complains upon seeing no avail to the 'team.' The last one, Atem had started to find rather annoying, since it was true that the team had truly no purpose at the moment.

Of course, Atem had gained his fair amount of information, such as the fact that each and every player played this Yami No Game under different rules. Just as Atem could die two more times and still be in the game, there was a player that had to kill every month to keep the one he was meant to protect alive. What he needed to kill was left unsaid. If played right, the difference between them could be used as a weapon itself, though it could be a blow away too, or worse, death for those who happened to be in the wrong side of the river at the wrong time. But with all the interesting facts Atem had been told, there was still no sign of one that could actually help defeat The Dark One.

It was a question that had never left Atem's mind ever since it entered. As far as Atem knew, there had to be a way to catch their enemy vulnerable, somehow, someway, soon. Not even Ehecatl, who was known for his backstabbing abilities, had a clue of how it could be done. That was the reason why the group was worthless… there was no extreme move that could be committed that would work.

According to one of them for example, there was a player that had killed the raven once. Bottom line, he had been tortured to death. Every other rumor that he heard ended up in a dead end like that one. They all agreed they were being watched though, which only made Atem's plans that more useless.

Atem narrowed his eyes, watching as a couple of students sneaked out of school, only to be caught by a teacher. Out of the corner of his eye, a falcon glided in the distance. It beat its wings twice, meaning that the players were all alive thus far, or at least, as far as the owner of the falcon was aware.

As the teacher dragged the students back to school and the falcon hid amongst clouds, Atem pursued his ideas once more with close to no hope. Except maybe… No. It was too risky. But could it work? He kept confronting problems as he discarded his possibilities because they were dangerous and would most likely get them all killed. This plan that now nagged at the back of his mind was no different.

The raven that had been killed had come back within the hour, which meant it was in vain to kill it. Or not. Who would be the being torturing the player if the raven was gone? It would less likely be one of the other players. But then… would that chosen player truly see The Dark One? Face to face? Maybe if they tried to take down the raven, the main target would be forced into action, allowing them to see who it really was.

It could kill not only one team member but several in the process, and yet, it was the best thing they would probably come up with before the team was discovered, unless the team attacked the matter as one and not as separate individuals. It would be a onetime thing though. All or nothing… The grand finale…

"Man! It's so cool how I can't see you until I get closer to this tree!" Tristan's voice assaulted him.

Atem looked up from the grass he had been staring down at and gave a smile he hoped would be convincing. Damn… he was supposed to be protecting Yugi and yet he had not even heard them approaching.

"It took me many years to perfect it," Atem said, standing, "I won't lie though. It is very useful."

"I w'sh I cou'd do th't too," Joey said, "Imag'ne hiding 'n da op'n!"

Nodding, Atem walked to them with hood neatly on place.

"School's finally over," Tristan said and lay down under the oak's shade. Joey followed suit.

Atem had not heard the bell either…

"Hey pharaoh," Tea said as she walked to meet them with Yugi following close behind, deep in thought.

"Yugi, are you fine?" Atem asked, noticing the overpowering fear that shook their bond. It was a fear he well knew.

"They called me to see if I have time to be interviewed," Yugi said, trying hard to keep calm, "I hate talking in public."

Atem grinned. This was just what he needed to get his new bound idea around… but who would kill the raven? And what would they do IF the Dark One really did show up?

"I shall help you then," Atem said, feeling guilt upon having to take away Yugi's true responses from the public. But he needed those answers to be specific so that the players would understand the message Atem wanted them to hear through Yugi.

"Sure thing," Yugi said and threw Atem an understanding nod, "I guess that leaves me no choice, right?"

But what if Atem was wrong and this plan did not work? It was barely an idea after all; there were many things that could go wrong. He needed to think things through before acting.

"When is the interview?" Tea asked.

"In three hours," Yugi said.

Atem sighed, so many weeks without a single idea upon what to do, and then suddenly everything cramps up in one day.

"Oh yeah, hey Atem," Yugi said, "The hospital called gramps this morning and said they wanted to see you today in about two hours."

'Hospital' was a nice way of putting the research building beside the actual hospital that always decided to call him in at the worst possible moments. Atem nodded though, and soon they were heading off, parting from the others with Yugi to head to the library. A place they had agreed to go whenever Atem required explaining what he needed Yugi to say on TV for the players. He sighed.

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

Munching on an already half eaten sandwich he had obtained several hours ago, he tried to ignore the disgusted glances of those walking past the bench he was sitting on in the park. He felt sorry for all of them. Those simple mortals, brainwashed to the point they believed they were in some way important to the world's balance, were in fact more worker ants among millions. They couldn't even see past the filthy body of the kid he was, nor the fact that he would soon kill them all. But that was not what he should be thinking of.

This was much more boring than what he had anticipated. Being on a team was nothing more than a pain in the ass; full of rules and a leader who didn't even know what to do with himself. Yes, Atem thought he was powerful enough to outsmart The Dark One. For now though, he was proving he wasn't.

An old fat woman called to him, her voice low and decrepit. Yet he went and even allowed such monstrosity to hug him and kiss his forehead. He faked a smile and the woman almost broke into tears.

"John, I brought you some food," the woman said and offered him a basket. Such annoying monster.

"My name is Rat," he said.

"Rat is not a name, John!" the woman held his shoulder tightly, "You are a human being, darling. Not an animal."

Rat narrowed his eyes, peeking in the basket to see what she had brought him; juice, fruit, some type of rice ball and a letter that said 'I am here for you, John.' Well, that was disappointing. He looked up at the woman, eyes sparkling.

"Thank's you ma'am," he said, "I have to go."

"Wait, wait," the woman said smiling, oblivious of Rat's annoyance, "I brought something else."

She pulled out an action figure which she offered to Rat. He took it without a word, making her believe he was awed.

"I thought you'd like it," she said and then gave her usual question, "You know, there are places where they would take a kid like you. You can get an education and food every day."

Rat shook his head, eyes tearing up.

"Oh dear," the fat excuse for a human said, "I didn't mean to… please don't cry."

That was Rat's cue. He turned and fled with both toy and food, not turning to look back. He knew the woman would be there tomorrow again, unknowing that she was a messenger of his.

Once out of sight, he sat against a tree trunk and dug into an apple, moving the action figure's little arms back and forth. The right leg was loose. Bingo. He pulled at the leg until it broke; smiling as he found a little piece of paper rolled neatly in there. He read the few chicken scraps written into it, deciphering the message without a problem. Then he ate it.

So Atem was finally making a move on The Dark One…

Rat wondered about the how s and the whys. But who really cared? He only had to act as a piece in Atem's game board for a bit longer. And who knew? Maybe the plan was worth something. At least, by the order scribbled in the paper, it seemed like Atem's final move was coming at last.

Far away he caught a glimpse of Yugi Mutou in one of those screens placed strategically on the buildings throughout the city. It was some type of interviewing and though Yugi's movements were rather harsh, the message was as clear as the paper's message.

'We are united by a single goal which will either be our end or our beginning. Hiding will do no good anymore, the moment is nearing. Soon all of you will know what to do.' Or at least, that was the poetic way to put it.

He took another bite of his apple, wondering again why Atem was going to give away the 'team' that they had worked so hard to create. Oh well, maybe he will be able to find a way to turn this around to his advantage.

For now, he had to play his part and tell The Dark One what he was meant to. If Atem was right, then The Dark One would fly right into one of Atem's shadow games. Hopefully though, The Dark One will get to choose the rules.

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

Yugi held his wrist, trying to stop his hand from shaking, but as always, it didn't work. At least he had delivered the message as Atem wanted. Not that he could tell if he had messed up at all. He shook his head, trying to not think about it. Once Atem was out of his check-up with the doctors he will tell him if it had been good or bad.

"Ya 'kay man?" Joey asked as he walked beside him through the complicated hallways of the building where the interview had taken place.

"Yeah…" Yugi said, "I got nervous with all the cameras and stuff."

"Dude, aren't ya supposed to be used to it b'now? Or ya still a ch'cken?"

"I guess things do.- Hey!" Yugi yelled, pushing Joey but failing to hurt him, "I am not a chicken!"

Joey laughed and, putting both hands on his waist, started imitating a chicken, flapping his 'wings' and making the noises that went with it.

"Finally," a too familiar voice reached them, "Have you realized how much of an animal you are Wheeler?"

Yugi grabbed Joey's wrist as he walked with a murderous look at Kaiba. Somehow, Joey actually stopped.

"L'k whos talking rich boy!" Joey yelled, or rather, snarled, "Have ya ever seen y'self in da mirror lately!"

Kaiba walked closer to them, waving away Joey's comeback with a hand.

"Lucky for you, I am not here to lower myself to your level," the CEO said and turned to Yugi, offering him a box.

"Ha! N'w ya are a messenger? A fitlhy rich boy like ya!" Joey laughed, delighted to have caught Kaiba in such an un-Kaiba act.

"Don't push it chicken," Kaiba said calmly and turned to Yugi once more, "Are you going to take it or not?"

Startled, Yugi took the packet and was surprised at how warm it was, as if it had been under the sun for a long time. He fingered the clear tape that kept it close, his heart accelerating for no reason as if it knew there was something really important inside.

"Thanks Kaiba," Yugi said, but when he looked up, neither Kaiba nor Joey was there. His eyes widened and darted off in all directions, but he was in the empty hallway he had been standing moments ago. For a moment, panic took over him and he called for Atem with his mind, but wait… Why was he calling Atem? He was supposed to be strong. He shook his head and started walking towards the exit, hoping that once outside he could see what was truly going on. It made no sense though. Maybe the shadows were playing with him again. The Dark One was probably behind this.

The hallway seemed to stretch on forever, and soon, Yugi broke into a desperate run until his legs could take it no more. He halted, breathing hard. The hallway was never going to end! He took a step back, then another one and another one, until he tripped with the box Kaiba had given him.

"Where did you take me?" Yugi asked the box, really do hoping for an answer.

The box lay there quietly.

Yugi reached for it, thinking that the answer to his question may be in there. It was hard to tear the tape off, but after minutes that seemed to take forever, he managed it.

Fearfully, he opened it, peeking in warily. Inside the box he found two voodoo dolls, they looked exactly like him spare that one was dressed in Egyptian clothes and the other one in his school's uniform. He gulped and grabbed both of them to see them with a better light. Their purple button eyes were sown in and both their lips reflected sadness. But why? He looked in the box again, putting the dolls aside. There was a knife and crumpled up paper.

He took them both out, holding the knife in one hand and the note with the other.

"Save us," Yugi said, reading the note out loud. What? The dolls suddenly grew cold beside him and as he jumped to his feet, he discovered he was not in the hallway any longer. In fact, he didn't think he was anywhere. He would have said it was the shadow realm, but instead of darkness, there was simply nothing, just a vast emptiness that was neither light nor dark.

Images flashed before his eyes. He saw Atem laughing, a woman lying dead at his feet. He saw Ehecatl desperately trying to breathe as a man without a true shape held him under water. And then he saw himself; alone.

"Is that the future?" he asked, feeling rather calm.

"Are you here to help them?" a female voice called from afar, ignoring his question, "Are you their savior?"

Yugi gasped. This was getting too weird and confusing. He was no savior. That was Atem's job.

"Who are you?" Yugi asked, hearing those three words echoing throughout the nothingness.

"I am Xochitl, the one Ehecatl was meant to protect," she said and an invisible hand caressed Yugi's cheek, "And you are Yugi Mutou, 'The King of Games.'"

The information barely even made sense to Yugi.

"I have tried to communicate with Ehecatl, my brother. And with Atem too," she continued, "But their souls are too in disarray to allow them to pay attention to me. Therefore, I have come to you."

Yugi blinked.

"W-what do you want from me?" Yugi asked, shaking.

"To warn them," she said, "to beware of the shapeless man that will come once the raven falls, a powerful demon who knows of fear."

Yugi took a step back, once the raven falls? Was that what Atem wanted? To kill the raven… but that would only make The Dark One mad and then… and then The Dark One will come with vengeance, a demon.

"Please! Is there any way to stop it?" he asked, "Any way to beat The Dark One without anyone dying?"

"There always is," Xochitl whispered in his ear, "That is why I have come to you Yugi Mutou. Your soul is pure."

No! That was not an answer! He opened his mouth to complain, but nothing came out.

"Do tell my brother Ehecatl when this all ends, that I have been resting with the gods for a long time now. I was never truly under that demon's power," she said and the world of nothing flashed away, leaving Yugi utterly confused.

"But that means… Ehecatl is not even IN the game?"

"Yug?" Joey asked, "Dude! Ya gotta stop spacing out like that!"

Yugi turned to look at Joey. He was finally back in reality. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kaiba walking away.

"I need to stop Atem before it's too late," Yugi said, realizing he was holding the box Kaiba had given him.

Closing his eyes, Yugi searched for their link, begging Atem to notice that something was terribly wrong.

He couldn't feel him…

_What's wrong king of Games? Have I outsmarted you?_

_X_

* * *

><p><em>X<em>

__Thank you! I hope you have enjoyed! Dark Destinies is officially reaching its last chapters.

Sneak-peak for next chapter? "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." by Mark Twai.

Suggestions? Comments? Criticism? Questions?


	21. Chapter 21

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 21. Outsmarted**

Previously: The Dark One's game has proved to have many twists, challenging the players and punishing them severely if they happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Atem, having to protect Yugi from it all, has made a 'unity' among the players and has finally come up with an idea of how to get rid of The Dark One for good. But as he breaks his promise to Yugi of telling him everything, Yugi is warned by Ehecatl's sister that what Atem is planning will be their doom. But... will it work? Or will it simply be a dead end? Or worse...

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Takeshi Takahashi.

Enjoy! Especial thanks to Quillfeather Nib who inspired me when I was about to give up.

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

The footsteps came quietly behind him, swallowed by the lapping waves of the shore. When he heard them though, it was too late. Swiftly, the dagger slashed at his throat and he fell, silenced forever.

_Indeed a well done job… _

The killer smirked as he watched the raven flutter to the corpse and peck at the mortal wound. Long ago he had thought cold-blooded killing was unforgivable. But if that was the case, then he was condemned to hell many times already. Instead of thinking of it though, he knelt before the corpse and began his search. Not too soon, he found what he had been looking for. A note. So it was true… some of the players had truly united in order to fight The Dark One. And what was even better, they were about to make their move. Sad for them, they had just lost one of their allies to his dagger.

"Why did you allow them to keep their little group without intervening?" he asked, never less than surprised to hear his own calm voice after having committed murder.

_Boredom for once… Not many have managed to do what the ancient young warrior has done… _

Nodding slightly, the killer read the note again. Why was that so called pharaoh calling his 'troop' to the western side of the city? The note did not explain much more but the spot where the man he had just killed was meant to go and wait for further orders. Other than that, the note said to trust what he was told upon a moment's notice.

"So you want me to take over the role of this person?" he asked, motioning to the blood-bathed corpse, "Do you want me to act as a spy?"

_No. I already have someone within these rebels to feed me information and due to that; the ancient young warrior will die today… The only thing you shall be doing is track those other players and dispose of them…_

The man bowed before The Dark One, deep down wishing he could warn all of them upon what was about to happen. But if he did, then The Dark One would kill the one he was meant to protect. He could not risk it.

"Why aren't you attacking Yugi Mutou then?" he asked, "If you capture him, then you will be able to control Atem just as you do with Ehecatl."

The Dark One's laugh carried through the waves and into the open sea, far away from where they stood.

_Even I require challenges from those lesser than me. To crush the ancient young warrior's hope with my own power will be much more satisfying than to watch him kneel before me without a fight._

"I understand," the killer said and began walking away, refusing to even wonder what would happen once this was over, "My mission is to take the lives of the others so that Atem has no one to fall back to when he fails."

_Correct._

_X_

* * *

><p><em>X<em>

Things were falling neatly into place. Though there were still too much details that could go wrong to feel safe. The worst one was the fact that the players following him would more likely doubt Atem as the plan unrolled before them. If he gave an order and it was not heeded immediately, lives would be lost, especially now that Rat had gone to The Dark One with the information Atem had told him to deliver.

In the distance, among the darkening clouds, the falcon's wings beat twice before it soared away.

So another player had died… That made two player deaths in a three day spam; one that had nothing to do with their team and had, according to his sources, committed suicide; while the other had indeed been under the 'unity.' Atem would have to wait to hear further details upon the causes of his death. After all, their communication methods were not as fast as he wished them to be. Suicide was easy to overrule since usually every single player had something to live for. That left one likely option; murder, which in turn led to the usual question. Was it The Dark One's doing? If it was, then the mission would be at stake. Atem did not know whether his enemy would have an elaborate plan of his own or if he would simply try to beat Atem at his own game. It was frustrating.

Sighing, he gazed around. From where he sat, most of the restaurant could be seen. Several waitresses moved from table to table with permanent fake smiles drawn on their faces. Apart from them though, only a group of gossiping women maintained the coffee-shop alive. Then again, it was still early and most people were either working or at school.

The guilt of yet again blocking the mind-link with Yugi had kept him awake most of his homeless night. He knew Yugi would not approve of his new bound plan to get rid of The Dark One. And maybe he was right. Atem could hear his partner's words over and over in his mind, as though he was saying then right there infront of him.

'There has to be another way!' Yugi would say, eyes wild with shock at what Atem was willing to risk.

'Like what?' Atem would answer, knowing that Yugi would have no way to answer that. Or maybe he would.

He sipped his express, which he had bought with money Tea had given him to go to the movies a few days back. The bitterness of the coffee awakened him slightly, though he truly had no reason to be awake until sunset came around. Then, they would strike without knowing if targeting the raven would truly work. Yet, it was the best plan they had come up with. If they waited too long for the perfect plan to show up, the players would begin to doubt Atem's leadership abilities and would not simply separate, but turn against each other.

If only he had not broken his promise with Yugi. But he had to save him at all cost.

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

He had to find him before anything bad happened! And how did he even know something bad had not happened already! He shook his head furiously, chasing the thoughts away. But why else was their link not working? No! There had to be a completely different reason for that! But after what Ehecatl's sister had said, Yugi could not stop thinking the worst. It was not like Atem would break his promise…

But as the hours passed and there was no sign of the pharaoh, Yugi's search came to a sudden halt. There was simply no way they would find Atem like this. The panic was building up inside Yugi, overwhelming him. What if he didn't find Atem? His body shook fiercely in the sidewalk. Behind him, Tea called Joey and Tristan with her cell phone. They had been searching for Atem somewhere else.

"Don't worry Yugi," Tea said; a hand on his shoulder, "He's fine. We'll find him."

Yugi nodded slowly, wanting to believe Tea really badly. Her words were a lie and both of them knew it. Looking at Tea, Yugi searched for that calming feeling that he always got when she was around. Except this time, it was mixed with something else. He could feel his eyes widening as he recognized the emotion. How could he be so selfish at a time like this? But as Tea kept speaking words that he did not hear, he searched in her eyes that nervousness and excited grin that she always had when talking to Atem. It wasn't there. No! He was supposed to be worried for Atem! Not thinking what Atem meant to Tea! Selfish! Pure centered egoism!

"Yugi, it's fine," Tea said, giving Yugi's hand a squeeze in a sign of friendship and nothing else. To Yugi, it could have meant much more, "Atem can take care of himself."

That was the problem, Yugi pondered; Atem COULD take care of himself.

"What if Atem did it on purpose?" Yugi asked before he could stop.

"What?"

"What if Atem broke his promise?"

He hadn't realized how angry the thought made him feel until now. It was just like with Tea. Did Atem simply not notice he was hurting Yugi? Or did he not care? Of course he did! They had agreed to tell each other anything and act together to defeat The Dark One. So far, Atem had barely said a word about the shadow game; let alone what he was planning. And even though he knew Atem was doing it for his sake, he felt abandoned.

He shook his head.

"Yugi…" Tea said, "We will save him."

Yugi blinked, unsure. Atem was in danger… Ehecatl's sister had said so… he looked at the sky's gray clouds, remembering the day the oricalcus had taken over Atem. It had destroyed Yugi to think that power was so important to the pharaoh; or at least enough to not listen to Yugi as he warned him. This was a similar situation then. Atem was taking a great risk to win again, ignoring Yugi, just like before. And that time the oricalcus has backfired on him… but Yugi had been there.

"I get it now," Yugi thought out-loud, "Atem needs us."

And if Yugi had to lay down his soul in order to save Atem's, so be it.

"I don't think we are talking about the same thing anymore," Tea said, obviously confused, "Aren't we looking for Atem because he needs us already?"

Yugi nodded.

"For a sec I started doubting, but now I see it," Yugi said, "We need to talk some sense into Atem! We have to save him from himself."

Tea blinked; lost to whatever was going on in Yugi's head. She opened her mouth to talk only to be cut off by her ringing cell phone. She picked up and, even though it wasn't on speaker, Joey's voice carried to Yugi's ears.

"Got som'ne say'n they saw Atem over here," Joey's excited tone made Yugi's heart leap. He was so glad Tea had taken a picture of Atem's hooded-self the day before.

"Where!" Tea asked, clearly overwhelmed with relief.

"Downtown near tha docks," Joey said, "I'll text ya the restaurant's address."

Sprinting toward the subway station alongside Tea, Yugi's dark thoughts melted away. Atem was fine! He was fine!

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

The storm would not hold much longer. The clouds were almost black, blocking the sunset in the distance. But then again, it was the cover of darkness what Atem needed the most. Somehow though, it seemed wrong.

He saw some cars still parked in the parking lot though the couples were too busy, most of them lost in their own sensual fantasies. None of them would take interest in a passing man like himself, or at least not as long as he did not stare. The truth was, however, that he had been hoping no one would be within close range of the place they had chosen to execute their plan. A carnival…

On summer, the place would be swarming with people; from children to grown men and the ever present teenagers that, under the sun's heat, would ride the rides over and over again. Today though, this would, if the gods' blessing was with him, become a battlefield. Quickly, he used the last rays of sunlight to locate the broken fence that Rat had spoken of. With some effort, he avoided the bare, rusting wires that stuck at odd angles as he went through the hole. But once inside, he was able to walk without the slightest worry of being caught. The few police officers that kept watch on the deserted carnival had been sent into a dreamless sleep thanks to one of the players, whose name Atem did not yet know. The only thing he knew about that player was that he or she was on the area right now, ready to pounce on their enemy the moment he showed up. IF he did.

Every step he gave felt heavier and heavier. Atem knew that this plan was too vaguely set. And if his theory was wrong, then they would simply be targets in the open. He thought of Yugi and immediately pushed the guilt that came with it away. What would happen if he didn't make it through the night? There was no way he could protect Yugi while dead this time. Instead, he focused on his surroundings.

It was like a labyrinth made out of colorful stances. Except, the twilight gave the place a cynical look about it, washing away the colors and giving them a variety of grayed shades apt for those suspense movies that Yugi's grandpa watched now and then. Even the black pearly eyes of the old stuffed animals that awaited on the shelves seemed to be watching his every move.

Atem could not help but look around; knowing that in those movies, the 'bad' guy always stabbed the victim from behind. He chuckled. In his lifetime, Atem had experienced worse things and yet, he was actually starting to consider someone stabbing him from behind a gullible thought. He shook his head slowly and sped his pace.

The carnival was big. It was not until barely past sunset that the darkness sunk over the sleeping electronic games that Atem arrived to his destination. And his 'opponent' was already waiting.

Ehecatl leaned against a concession stand, watching him with hatred. Atem reminded himself that even though Ehecatl was acting and said he was on Atem's side, he was still a threat.

"Greetings Ehecatl," Atem called, "I wish I could chat around, but I have things to do. Tell me why you have called me."

Ehecatl came closer to him and though it was almost inaudible, Atem heard the sound of pavement against metal… Ehecatl was hiding a blade on the sole of his shoe. He narrowed his eyes, but Ehecatl's face was unreadable. Instead, Atem allowed himself to fall in the facade of their fight.

"I shall ask it just once," Ehecatl hissed under his breath, "Why am I alive!"

An understandable question…

"Why!" Ehecatl yelled, grabbing a fistful of Atem's shirt, he was taller than Atem, which forced him to be on the tip of his toes.

"You should be grateful I spared your life," Atem said calmly

"And how do you know I was better off alive!" Ehecatl voice was rising, echoing throughout the carnival, "Why did you not kill me!"

There was some type of insane light in Ehecatl's eyes. His breath was alcohol free though. Atem's eyes narrowed, this man was indeed a good actor.

"Afraid… I see," Ehecatl said, "Not so tough without your little games, are you!"

"Maybe so," Atem said, catching a dark shadow move out of the corner of his eye. The raven was there, perched in what used to be an old cotton candy box. Careful not to smile, Atem returned his attention to Ehecatl, who by the looks of it was also aware of The Dark One's presence.

"I should be dead…" Ehecatl whispered dangerously and let go off Atem's shirt who was barely able to regain his balance before Ehecatl reached for the blade hidden in his sole and attacked Atem.

The fight was short, especially because Atem had no weapon of his own at hand. He gasped as the sharp blade made contact with his skin, tearing some of his clothing apart. He had no time to check if the cut had been deep though. Ehecatl came to him again, his dagger aiming at his neck, missing by mere inches over and over again as Atem dodged it. It was obvious Ehecatl was not truly set on killing Atem… but any mistake in Atem's part would cost him dearly.

Suddenly, their eyes met. It was less than a second, but it meant volumes. They came to an understanding and as the dagger made contact with Atem's side, he gasped loudly, feeling his features contract in pain as the dagger's handle hit him harmlessly.

That was it! Atem could see the raven as he fell to his knees, it was distracted.

It only required one gunshot for the raven to fall dead to the ground.

When that was done, Atem and Ehecatl broke their faked fight apart, looking for the source of the one who had fired the gun. It was a woman.

"Hermione," Ehecatl said shortly.

Hermione… so this was one of the players that had been following Atem. He nodded in acknowledgment and was surprised as the girl fell to her knees and crawled before him, kissing his shoes.

Atem blinked, though his attention was already shifting to the dead bird's corpse. They needed to act fast.

"Oh great nameless Egyptian god!" Hermione cried and stood slowly.

Nameless god? What? Atem narrowed his eyes, glancing at Ehecatl, whose own gaze was fixated on the raven.

And then it happened. It was like an invisible wall hitting them, but not physically… mentally. Atem saw Ehecatl falling to the ground, gripping his chest, overwhelmed by the dark emotions that the shadow realm always brought when it was called forth. Except this time, they were stronger. Panic rose within Atem, and though he was able to quench it, that steady desperation of being trapped within the shadows settled on the back of his mind. But he had been right!

Atem grinned, walking to the raven and standing close to it. He stared at it, feeling as the shadows worked their way into his reasoning; and then he looked up at the sky, chuckling silently.

"I have beaten you in the first part of the game Dark One!" Atem yelled to his surroundings, "We have killed the one you were meant to protect!"

Turning around, Atem saw the shock in Ehecatl's and Hermione's eyes. He could not help but smile.

_Fool! This was but a test… No one can kill my beautiful raven… NO ONE! You wish to die! Very well then. Let us see who among us is the true shadow game champion… _

As in cue, the raven moved, no blood was there to be seen. It hopped upright and flew away, perching in one of the roof of a bathroom-like building.

_If it is death you wish, then death you shall have… but let us await. There is one more person that must arrive for this to be complete. Do not fret, he is on his way._

Someone else? Atem's eyes widened and terror gripped at his heart. He knew who this last person was.

"Yugi…!"

X

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I hope you enjoyed! I am sorry for how late this chapter is. I had a lot of trouble with it.

Comment? Suggestions? Questions? Criticism? Please do tell!


	22. Chapter 22

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 22. Hangman**

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

I do not own The Hangman, it belongs to Maurice Ogden.

Previously: The plan was set in motion... except the Dark One seemed to already know what was going on. After Atem kills the raven with the help of Hermione and Ehecatl, The Dark One challenges them to a last Shadow Game. But before he does anything else, he says that they will wait for Yugi to arrive so he can be part of the game... and Atem? Well, he is powerless to stop Yugi from wanting to save him.

Enjoy!

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It was a miracle that the rain had held this long. Even though it had started to drizzle a few minutes back, it was better than what the weatherman had predicted. Still, the droplets of water were damping his hair, making it heavy and uncomfortable. He could not stop though. Not when they were so close to finding Atem.

"I don't get it," Tristan said, sidestepping a puddle of water and ending with a mud-covered shoe, "Why would the pharaoh come here?"

That was a good question… one that Yugi had been afraid of asking. The waitress at the restaurant where Atem had last been seen said that Atem had been there for a couple of hours before leaving. It had not been until later on though, that they had found a man who had seen Atem walking along the highway and away from Domino City's boundaries, except Atem could not leave the area. That was how Yugi had guessed Atem had been heading to the carnival. But why? The place was empty at this time of the year. Though knowing Atem, he had a feeling choosing a deserted place was essential to his plan.

"I don't know," Tea said, "But Atem has a lot of explaining to do."

Yugi nodded, though he hoped for some silly answer. Then again, this was the pharaoh who they were talking about. 'Silly' was not in his dictionary.

"Whatever it is, we'll get him back," Yugi said, managing to regain his balance as he tripped with some type of old piece of tire. He sighed, wishing that there were more lights in the parking lot to illuminate his way, but even the carnival that loomed over them across an old looking fence not too far away was tainted by shadows.

"Do we really have to go in there?" Tea asked, clearly noticing the creepy feel the place gave off, "Can't we just yell Atem's name or something?"

"Ya scared Tea?" Joey laughed, jogging infront of them and spreading his arms, "Don't ya worry, we'll safe ya!"

Tea bit her lip and said no more, using her cell phone to give them light.

It WAS a scary place though, and as Yugi and the rest reached the fence coming to halt mere inches from it. There was something familiar about the place, a feeling that warned the wanderers away. He knew Atem was in there, and it was as though the pharaoh himself was trying to keep Yugi at bay. But at the same time, Yugi felt lured in; as if the place had been waiting for him or something.

"The fence is broken over there," Tristan said, pointing at a specific place to their right. Yugi could see nothing, even with Tea's cell phone at work. He walked towards it though, without saying anything. And yes, right where Tristan had pointed, there was a hole where they could squeeze in.

Joey went first, followed by Tristan. Soon it was Yugi's turn. It was easy for him to go through, as he was the smallest one among them, but as soon as he was in the other side, a sharp-like fear made his body tremble. He shook his head; eyes closed tight, trying to keep it under control. The shadows began moving out of the corner of his eyes; stalking. He opened his eyes again and they widened as he saw Joey fading away before him. He turned around, but Tea and Tristan weren't there anymore. It was like when he had seen Ehecatl's sister, except he had the feeling of having been where he was now before.

"Joey! No!" Yugi yelled, reaching for his best friend, but instead of getting a hold of him, his hand went through his body and before he could stop himself, he tripped, barely able to break the fall with his arms. When he looked back, Joey had vanished.

"What…" Yugi began, but the sound of breathing stopped him short. Then came the voice, and Yugi realized where he was. His heart leapt. Somehow, he had stepped into the shadow realm. Yes, it had to be, Joey and the others had to be fine. He was the one who was in danger.

_King of Games… welcome. We have been waiting for you. Come, come. We have grown anxious to start…_

Anxious?

"Stop! Leave Yugi out of this!" Atem's voice echoed through the carnival as though he was using a microphone. There was a tight fear in his voice that Yugi had never heard before. "I'll do whatever you want! Just let Yugi go!"

"Atem!" Yugi yelled but even his own voice seemed to come from far away.

The Dark One laughed.

_The rules are simple. The one that can overcome his deepest__fears and is the last one whose heart still beats, wins. The losers' souls will be condemned to re-live what they most fear through eternity. _

If fear truly had a smell, Yugi was sure the carnival was already stinking of it. Was The Dark One serious? The worst of fears… he began to tremble. No-no-no-no… Not that! Not again!

"'Hangman, who is he for whom you raised the gallows tree?'" Ehecatl's voice questioned The Dark One, "was the man who says he was a pharaoh what you want?"

'_He who serves me best…shall earn the rope of the gallows-tree.'_

'And the gallows-frame on the courthouse lawn, by tomorrow's sun would be struck and gone, So we gave him way, and no one spoke, out of respect for his hangman's cloak." Ehecatl muttered in response until his voice faded and silence ruled the carnival. That is, until it started.

_Yami no Game… _

The lights came on; shades of bright fluorescent lighting combined with reds and oranges of the carnival games blinded Yugi. Music began playing, too many tunes to sort them out, too loud to hear anything, too much to be able to think about what The Dark One had meant. What did gallows had to do with this? And then he realized something that chilled him…

Yugi was alone.

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W-where was he? He looked around wildly, searching for something, anything… but only bright lights met his gaze, dazzling, playing with his mind as horrid piercing wails of the machines around him set a sharp pain on his temples. But he could not… he just could not…

What was going on!

He tried to sort it out. He remembered something… a game. Yes! It was a Yami No Game, was that what it was called? It sounded alien. But it had to be! He took a step back, remembering that he was in a carnival… fighting someone. The Dark One? Maybe… either way, he had an enemy… But only one?

But… why was he even fighting? There had to be a reason, somewhere deep within him… something he could not recall. It was eating at him from the inside out. WHAT was it! Why could he not remember! Was he in Egypt? No… no, he was far from home. Home? The millennium puzzle… he had been inside the millennium puzzle for three thousand years. Darkness… shadows… sorrow… there was nothing there… and then there had been light… and he had been freed… but… then what!

No… he shook his head, pressing his hands against it as though he could keep everything together. What was he fighting for? Was this the first time he was out of the millennium puzzle? Was he still in the shadow realm? But no! That wasn't important! There was something else… someone connected to this hollowness in his memories… but it was like hitting a wall. There was simply nothing there. Hot tears damped his cheeks as he fell to his knees, sweat glistening, running down his back. The taste of blood filled his mouth… and the shadows began to close in.

He shrieked, recoiling as he remembered his years inside the puzzle… except… the shadows had given him power too. He remembered punishing those who dared hurt… hurt who? But maybe that was the thing…

He closed his eyes, thinking, remembering. He ignored the hows and the whys of his being where he was now. There were rules. What were they? He forced his mind to stop spinning, though the emptiness in his chest only increased. According to the Yami No Game, he was supposed to be living his worst fear… but how could he 'live' his worst fear if he could not remember what it was!

A gasp came near him; a woman's. It was a hollow sound, barely audible above the noise that surrounded them. He looked towards the direction of the sound through stray blonde bangs and indeed, it was a woman. A dagger was stuck between her breasts, her gaze staring at nothing, forever in a gesture of terror. Hermione… that was her name… Without knowing, he knew her death had been his fault. He felt that same terror that most have ran through Hermione's veins running through his, though instead of screaming, he dried his tears with his sleeve. No one should see him cry. There was no reason to cry either. If he had forgotten, then it was surely not important.

The shadows came closer, purring, offering power and understanding. They said it was his right to have them. They said they were the truth. They said he would be able to set things right if he allowed them to become one with him again. Again? He could remember it. He had used the shadows to enforce justice. And then again, what else could he do? He opened his mind to the gathering shadows, shocked as their power flooded into him. He heard a blood-curling scream far-way; then he realized he was the owner of the screaming. How foolish…

Slowly, Yami opened his eyes, wondering why the sight of the lights around him had caused him such fear mere moments before. He was aware he was missing something rather important as he scrutinized his surroundings, but now was not the time to worry about it. The Yami No Game could be seen through two points of view, a hunter's and a prey's. He smirked; knowing exactly what he was going to be.

A cold droplet of water fell on the tip of his nose as he walked away from the dead woman. Then another and another, soon the clouds let loose what they'd been holding.

"How ironic," Yami said to the sky, "Rain cleanses. Just like I would do with whoever my enemies are."

Thunder answered him, and he could do nothing but laugh, knowing that he would be the nightmare to the rest of the ones playing this game.

X

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Yugi hugged his knees close against his chest as he sat under an old roof, watching as the rain danced outside, leaking his feet. Fear had taken a hold of him, and he knew it. It was really hard to shake off though. He could not help it but remember those days before he had solved the millennium puzzle; how no one liked him; how he had been friendless, how many beatings he had taken; how much sadness had settled on him. There was no way he could stop shaking.

He knew, without a doubt, that if he tried to win this, then Joey would simply beat him up for some unknown reason once he found him again. There was no reason to win. He might just as well be dead. Without friends…

Atem!

The words echoed in Yugi's mind, forcing him to his feet. Atem would know what to do! He always did. And yes! Atem was his friend! No matter how much he had been lying to him! If he could just find him, they would be able to figure things out together… wouldn't they?

Except, he did not know where to start looking for him. The carnival was too big and with the noise of the pounding rain and overlapping music he could not rely on his hearing. Again, he felt too lonely. Deep inside, he knew Atem would not be there for him. Maybe it was just his panic making him think that though…

A faint scream caught his attention, and even though it was drowned, Yugi found himself hurrying towards it, squinting in order to keep the rain out of his eyes. How many people were playing this shadow game anyway? A shape materialized not too far away, illuminated by the flickering bright lights. Something was chasing it.

Quickly, the figure was upon Yugi, and had it not been for the snarling monsters that were at his heels, Yugi would have tried stopping him. Instead, he found himself running alongside Ehecatl's terrorized self, though somehow, against all odds, Yugi was faster. It was as though Ehecatl was moving in slow motion… Like those nightmares where his legs were too heavy to obey. And even then, the ones chasing Ehecatl stayed at his heels, never reaching him.

Yugi kept running, glancing back again and again, until he saw Ehecatl trip; screaming as though he knew he was about to die.

"Ehecatl!" Yugi yelled, stopping and turning to face them, "Get up! It's an illusion! No one is attacking you!"

Just like that, the things that were so close to killing Ehecatl vanished in a flare of shadows. Yugi blinked, not believing it would actually work. And yet, Ehecatl remained on the floor; unmoving.

Yugi knew. He just knew he had to leave, to get as far as he could before Ehecatl gained some sense of what had just happened. But how could he? Ehecatl shook violently, clawing at the dirt as though the monsters were still hovering over him, almost as though they were eating him alive. Hurriedly, Yugi made his way to Ehecatl before he could think of the consequences.

Kneeling beside Ehecatl, he placed a hand on his shoulder, pushing it softly.

"Hey, Ehecatl?" Yugi asked, swallowing a shriek as his hand met not only skin, but a sticky, dark substance. He gulped. Ehecatl didn't move though and so Yugi was forced to shove him again, a bit harder. Maybe he was in shock…

As in cue, Ehecatl's body went stiff and without warning, his hand shot out from his side, grabbing Yugi's arm and twisting it so that Yugi was forced against the ground, squirming to get away from him. But Ehecatl was already pinning him down, a dagger against his throat. Squinting against the rain drops that fell in his eyes, Yugi froze.

Ehecatl's dark eyes narrowed as he watched Yugi with something close to sadness.

"'Hangman, hangman, is this the man?'" Ehecatl called to the pouring sky, but if he was waiting for an answer, he got none.

"Ehecatl please!" Yugi said, though even the vibrations of his throat as he spoke, made the dagger dig into his skin, "This is not how we must beat The Dark One! He wants this! If you play the way he wants you to play… then he'll win!"

"I have to..." Ehecatl hissed, "If I do not, then they will take my soul."

Who would take his soul? The things that were chasing him? Was that what he was most afraid of?

Yugi gulped, wondering why he was so afraid of dying even if there was nothing for him to live for anymore. Still, he didn't want Ehecatl to have to carry the grudge of killing him, if he wasn't going to live, at least the rest of the players deserved a chance to.

Ehecatl chuckled warily. There was something about him that was off. As if he was just a kid that needed to be taken care of. Yugi sighed, why did everything needed to end in pain and death?

The dagger on Ehecatl's hand suddenly began wavering, his eyes widening.

"They are coming back… the great Xototl will never spare us…" Ehecatl whispered, and in less than a blink, the creatures from before materialized around them, snarling, baring their deadly teeth, posed to kill.

Xototl? Yugi looked at the creatures, his heart racing, wondering if they could hurt him, but their eyes were on Ehecatl. Hairless dogs they were… like hounds but not quite, thin; their ribs showing and their eyes bulging. Almost as though they were demons… they began to pace around them.

Yugi turned his attention to Ehecatl again, finding that terror from before glimmering brightly in his eyes.

"They are not real," Yugi said, though he wasn't so sure anymore.

"They are," Ehecatl whispered, "The great god Xototl has sent them to devour my soul. Xochitl… forgive me… I… I cannot win…"

As in cue, one of the demon-like dogs attacked, sinking its fangs on Ehecatl's arm. He shrieked away from Yugi, dropping his dagger on the process. Another of the hairless dogs attacked. He heard Ehecatl screaming all too clearly across the rain as the dog-like beings dragged him off.

At last, Yugi managed to gain enough strength to stand, but what could he do? He started after where Ehecatl had disappeared to and stopped dead. Slowly, ever so slowly and with a pounding heart, he turned around. And there, petting one of those monster dogs was Atem; glaring at him with crimson eyes. He saw Yugi watching, and smirked.

"Atem!" Yugi yelled, and ran towards him.

The dog growled, forcing Yugi to a halt. Something was wrong, something was terribly wrong…

Atem laughed; a cold detached sound that even over that of the rain and music, was as clear as if it was the only sound there, echoing inside Yugi's mind. He had heard that laugh before… long ago.

Puppet-like, Atem lifted his arm straight infront of him and raised his thumb to the sky, then he pointed it to the ground and, with a commanding voice that sent chills throughout Yugi's body and soul, he said,

"Die."

The dog that had been at his feet attacked instantly, going for the kill. But why! What was wrong with Atem! Had Yugi done something wrong! What was going on!

"Wait!" Yugi screamed as the dog reached him, "I challenge you to a shadow game!"

The dog leapt but instead of driving Yugi to the ground, he went through him. A warm surge of air and the feeling of being filthy crossed Yugi and he shivered, almost falling to his knees. What?

Atem laughed.

"A Yami No Game?" Atem asked, "Are we not already in a Yami No Game?"

True… Yugi knew his time was running out. And then, what was he even aiming at? He could not beat Atem. He didn't even seem to remember who Yugi was! But… he forced his loneliness away. He had to save Atem no matter how bad it became. He had to be stronger than his fears.

"Yes… B-but still… or are you afraid?" Yugi asked, forced to raise his voice so that Atem could hear.

"Afraid?" Atem asked, "I find myself forced to point out you the one who is scared is."

"I am," Yugi answered, "But I won't back down because of that Atem, you yourself taught me that!"

"I have never spoken to you before kid."

The bitterness of the words struck home, and Yugi couldn't help but gasp. Atem didn't know him… it was real… everything was real… he was alone… alone forever.

"Let us get away from this rain first though," Atem said firmly and began walking away, his outline the only thing that reminded Yugi of who Atem had been.

But Yugi couldn't even walk. He was paralyzed.

X

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Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed!

Next chapter will be the last chapter for Dark Destinies! Thank you so very much for reading it! I am surprised I have made it this far (and you with me). Anyway, I wish to thank all of my readers for following my story even though I have not done a great job with my self set uploading deadlines.


	23. Chapter 23

**Dark Destinies**

**Chapter 23. No Answers**

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.

Previously: There are two shadow games going on at the same time; the original one in which the opponent must die for someone to win and the second one in which the opponent must re-live their worst fears forever. After Ehecatl was dragged away by demon-like dogs; Yugi challenged Atem to a third and last shadow game in which only one can win. But who will win? And who will be damned?

I want to say thank you to everyone who has been following Dark Destinies. Especial thanks to RedRosePetal, DarkHeartInTheSky, Youngbountygirl, II Kairi II, Scaevola2, Zehava, and shmeepeh that inspired me and made this last chapter possible.

I am forced to warn you that even my editor (who had never seen/read Yu-Gi-Oh! before) cried with this chapter.

Any reviews, criticism, and questions will be appreciated. This is the last chapter of Dark Destinies.

Enjoy!

X

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The storm was merciless, damping us to the bone as we followed the ancient young warrior through the neon colored path. I could see him walking with determination, though deep down I knew that there was a hollow in his mind and heart that attempted to devour his reasoning; fear. He knew that he was living his worst nightmare and yet hid it from himself. The king of games dragged his feet a few paces behind; trembling and knowing that trying to beat his beloved friend would end in pain. But just as the ceremonial duel… it had to be done.

And behind them came I, following quietly; a demon-eyed dog that lacked hair. I knew very well that the shape I had taken made my skin that outlined my muscles glimmer as I walked; keeping vigil of the dead and the yet-to-die alike. Soon… soon… my beautiful raven would be avenged.

The ancient young warrior came to a halt before a building, and with an expert air about him that dated back thousands of years, scrutinized it. Without remorse, he entered, followed closely by us; a seal to their fate.

"Here we go I guess…" The scared king of games whispered, his voice stuck between that of a child and a man, "Whatever happens Atem, I promise I'll save you!"

Atem simply chuckled dryly.

Yugi would never be able to save Atem though, not as long as I, The Dark One, was alive. For it was I who chose who rejoiced and who suffered in this game. I remained quiet and busied myself by looking around, delighting myself with the soon to be battlefield. Neither of them suspected my being here. A simple bystander was all they believed I was without realizing that I was the very being that had turned them against each other.

And the place the ancient young warrior had chosen? Well, a house of mirrors of course. The sounds of the carnival and pounding rain were muffled as the door closed and only the sharp breathing of the king of games could be heard, his own image multiplied endlessly around him alongside the ancient young warrior's.

"State the rules," the ancient one said indifferently, knowing that he would win. I felt myself grinning, glancing as my own reflection smirked back at me. But the two look-alikes were too immersed in the game ahead to notice.

"I… ughhh…" the young one said, looking around wildly. The king of games was weak… already losing his ability to remain calm even before the game started.

"If you have no rules, then I shall be the one hosting the Yami No Game," said the ancient one, wandering off and mingling with the mirrors so that the young one did not know which one was real and which one was not.

"No!" the young yelled. He was intelligent. He knew well that whoever came up with the rules would have the upper hand… and we knew that if the ancient one got a hold of that, it would only be a matter of time for the opponent to lose. Such things Atem had taught Yugi and me.

"Very well, kid, state the rules," Atem's voice was something close to a deep purr.

Yugi stood there; frozen in time. It was obvious he had no clue of what to say or do. Slowly, he looked around, taking things in, processing the information, trying to push away the fact that Atem wanted to kill him and that he could not stop fearing being left alone. But then… a fierce look crossed his face, one that caught my interest. Maybe after all this would be an interesting shadow game and not something one might wish to end quickly. He was supposed to be scared to death and yet it was as though the fear had fled from him.

"Okay… so," the young one said, "Let's play a truth game then. You.-"

"A truth game?" the ancient asked, "I was hoping for blood."

It was all I could do to not laugh as the King of Games shrieked away from where he had last seen his former friend disappear. Instead, Atem laid a hand on Yugi's shoulder from behind, making him yelp in fright.

"Do not panic kid," Atem whispered poisonously, "We have yet to begin anyway."

The fear was back.

"I… well… yeah, a truth game!" the young one could barely even talk, very amusing indeed, "We can ask two questions to the other one per turn… uhmmm… if any of us lies or doesn't answer, he loses."

"And the questioner cannot say anything but his two questions until they are answered," the ancient one said and took a few steps away from Yugi, mingling with his reflections once more.

Yugi thought it through and finally nodded. I nodded too.

"Yami No Game!"

And like that, the shadows came forth, shrieking like hungry hyenas. A sudden flash of fear crept through Atem's features, though it soon was replaced by the need to win. The shadows fed him anger and the desire to claim the young one's soul. He smirked and I smirked, for whoever's soul was lost would remain existing in despair.

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A truth game… how pathetic.

Yami shook his head slowly at such foolishness; to think this kid… his enemy… had any chance of getting in between him and his desire for justice… justice? But what had this kid done? He could not quite remember but if he was in this Yami No Game, playing against him, then he was to be defeated. Besides, a truth game would be too easy to play. All he had to do was find the kid's greatest fear and exploit it until he could no longer handle it.

Unless…

"Okay… I'll go first," the tricolored kid said, his eyes narrowing deep in thought.

What was he planning?

"Who are you?" the kid finally asked, though his voice trembled, and Yami noticed how he hugged himself as though he was the one being interrogated and not Yami.

Yami opened his mouth to answer… but what could he answer? And then he understood the kid's plan. It seemed as though he knew what Yami could not remember. It did not worry the nameless man though; he only needed to answer what he knew. And even if he had answered his questions differently when he knew who he was, his answers now were not lies because they were his truth now.

"I am the man that will defeat you," Yami said firmly.

The kid trembled noticeably. He remained quiet for a while…

"Do you remember me?"

"No."

Now it was time for Yami to ask. He grinned as the kid turned around slowly, probably thinking that the real Yami was in fact a reflection in the multiple mirrors surrounding them, or maybe hiding tears that the fear caused.

"My turn," he said and quickly began his questioning, "What do you fear the most?"

Yugi froze. It was getting annoying now. The game was proceeding too slowly, even for him.

"I… I…" the kid said, "I don't want to be alone…"

As Yami had thought… pathetic.

"And are you alone?" Yami asked.

"Y-yes and no…" the kid blinked at his own response, "You are here! I know deep inside you know who I am! We're partners!"

Partners? Who in the name of Ra was this kid? Yami had never seen him before… only he had. Yami's eyes glanced at the mirrors around him where his own image glanced at him; a poker face with an underlying puzzled look to it that he could not quite get rid of. But that was not what caught his attention the most.

Yami had noticed how this kid was very similar to him in many ways; especially the hair. But if he was not lying about him knowing Yami then that meant the similarities were not a coincidence. Maybe the kid had known this and dyed his hair in order to confuse Yami and make him wonder this very thing he was wondering about now. Maybe the kid was telling the truth… maybe there was something that Yami was doing wrong… maybe he.- No! Yami shook his head slowly, his lips drawing into a dangerous smile. He would not allow this enemy to confuse him.

"W-What is your favorite color?" the kid's words seemed stuck in his throat. Yami heard him swallow.

Favorite color… Yami thought for a moment. But the moment dragged a bit too long.

"I do not know," Yami said.

"Are you sure?" the kid forced his arms to his sides.

"Yes."

It was Yami's turn to ask. But… he dug his nails into his palms; the kid's foolish question echoed in his mind. He pushed it away.

"Why are you alone?" Yami asked. He had been intending to ask something else, though he was not sure anymore.

"I am not alone…" Yugi whispered, "You are with me."

Yami rolled his eyes. This kid was avoiding his questions! He knew he had to calm down before he began to make any mistakes.

"Then where are your friends?" Yami asked.

"Here, I came to save him from himself," the kid said without hesitating, something about him was different now; he was standing straight, turning slowly in his place and fixing his gaze in Yami's images. Soon, he stopped infront of the real one as though he knew that image was not just another reflection. Yami glowered, hating being looked upon as though they were equals.

And so the questioning kept going; back and forth, back and forth and there was no way to hide the truth. At first, Yami stuck with trying to find the kid's buttons and drive him into a corner where he would collapse in terror and sorrow. But soon he realized his enemy was different from the rest. He used such simple questions… and yet, Yami began doubting himself, his mind was beginning to revolve around one answer to everything… 'I don't know.' The kid asked; What is your favorite food? Are you sure? Do you have friends? Are you sure? What do you like? Are you sure? Are you sure? Are you sure? All Yami could answer was that he did not know. And when it was time to ask a question himself, his mind would simply refuse to think it through… because what would he ask? He did not know either.

Yami… was that his name? Why was he being called Atem by the kid? Why was it so important that he knew what his favorite duel monster card was? What was a duel monster anyway? Who in the name of Ammit was this kid?

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked again, though this time Yami had no idea what he was supposed to be sure about.

"I don't know!" Yami… or was it Atem? hissed, "I don't know! I don't know!"

The nameless man only wanted to be left alone! He asked a question, but it was meaningless and as soon as it left his mouth, he could not remember it. The walls began closing in on him, his own images turned on him, laughing, with glimmering eyes as though they knew Yami was going to lose. It was a hysterical laugh that even the kid flinched at. A sound that only a trapped animal could utter the moment the ax made contact with its neck. He took a step back too quickly and the mirror behind him shattered, giving away his position to the kid.

The pity in the kid's eyes maddened the nameless man. How dare he had any pity for him!

"Will you ever shut up!" Yami snarled, his body trembling in anger, he walked towards the kid with that tear-stained face and guilty eyes, striking him across the face as a master would a servant. He just could not take it anymore!

The kid fell, almost in slow motion, holding his cheek and cowering away from Yami.

At least he was quiet… only his whimpering was left. Yami's hand was hurting bad; something had broken. Slowly, he brought the very hand infront of his face and turned it around so that he could see the shattered knuckles on it… the blood running freely, damping the floor. But there was no anger left in him. Yami had lost himself to the confusion and anger this kid had arisen in him. Even if he had been his enemy, Yami had acted like a coward, trying to end his own suffering by making the kid silent. How was that honor? But this kid was his enemy no matter what… he needed to beat him to win.

"I won't shut up…" the kid said between sobs, "Not until you remember who you are."

Yami took a step back and the kid rose to his feet, still holding his face.

They were in a standstill. And it was Yugi's turn to ask.

"Atem," Yugi began, there was pain in his eyes, as though what he was about to ask would burn his mouth, "Do you really think you deserve the afterlife?"

The afterlife? What was.- he froze. He could hear his heart pounding against his chest, and his eyes widening as he fought back tears. The rules of the game The Dark One had given them flashed before his eyes… they were supposed to be living their greatest fear. Yami had not felt 'terror' though… not until now… because this was what he truly feared… everything else his mind could block away. He could allow the shadows to consume his reasoning and therefore his fear of no memories. But fate? His past was a thing that terrorized him. But… there was only one thing, he was realizing, that could paralyze him… what about his future? He could feel his memories returning as the shadows decided that the pain would be greater if Atem remembered all that had happened.

3,000 years…

"I-I don't… I don't know…" Atem whispered and the silence dragged on for an eternity. If only they could stay like that forever.

Yugi broke; crying. He fell to his knees. They both knew what would happen now.

"You are lying Atem," Yugi said.

Atem knew that.

"You know that you are not allowed in the afterlife… cause that was what happened last time," Yugi said through sobs, "You came back to Domino City because you weren't allowed in."

"Yes," Atem said, and smiled sadly, "That is the truth Yugi, I am not worthy. I never will be."

"But you already suffered 3,000 years," Yugi's voice was barely audible now. Atem did not answer though. There was nothing to say. He had allowed the shadows to take over many times; he did not deserve to rest. The gods knew that.

"I believe in you, Yugi," Atem said, "I am sorry for the pain I have given you."

And with that, Atem collapsed, his body quickly consumed in shadows; trapped in the penalty games of not only one, but the other Yami No Games he had been part of.

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

Yugi said nothing to that.

Atem had lost. This time however, there was no hope for him to reach the afterlife. It would be up to Yugi to find his damned partner's soul. But first, he needed to defeat The Dark One once and for all.

He turned to the hairless dog that he had ignored so far. He had to end this… for Atem.

"This shadow game is not over," He said and, even to himself, his voice sounded far away, "I never said the shadow game was only between Atem and me."

He brought one finger up, pointing to the dog.

"I have one question left, and if you don't answer the truth, you'll lose," Yugi said, heart pounding. What if this was not enough to defeat The Dark One? His head was spinning, but he kept it under control. He couldn't give up! Atem wouldn't have!

The Dark One snarled at him; showing off fangs that Yugi could easily imagine sinking into his neck. He held on to his hope though.

"Dark One, have you won?"

_Have I won? Is that your very last question? Then yes; I have…_

"You are lying," Yugi said firmly, though within, he was falling to pieces, "and you know it."

_Both the ancient young warrior and the winged serpent are dead. It was my goal; therefore I have won…_

Yugi shook his head. He needed to get this right, or else who knew what would happen.

_Then do tell, why am I lying? _

"Because Atem is not dead," Yugi whispered.

_I saw him die. He is dead, just as the winged serpent…_

"No… the first shadow game you dragged us into, you said that you would win only if your opponent was dead. Plus, you gave Atem three lives to begin with. The one after Atem and Ehecatl killed the raven stated that they would re-live their worst fear throughout eternity which would include Atem's soul returning to the millennium puzzle. But then that means you would never be able to win the first game because no one is truly dead," Yugi said, "Therefore you lied. You cannot win."

The Dark One growled.

_It is a lie! I have won! I cannot lose! I am invincible!_

"That is why you lost too," Yugi said, "It's your greatest fear! You can't win because you are scared of losing!"

The next thing Yugi knew, a horrible pain on his arm made him scream. The hairless dog had thrown himself at Yugi, aiming for the neck. But Yugi had managed to get his hands up to block it. They struggled on the ground, their images reflected infinite times around them. The merciless fangs sank wherever they could while all Yugi could do was kick uselessly and try not to get killed.

_I will not go back to the shadow realm! I refuse to spend my eternity there! You will go in my place…_

But if Yugi knew something about shadow games, it was that the loser was always punished.

"Penalty game!" Yugi screamed and like that, The Dark One let him go, shrieking in pain and fear. Without warning, he was gone.

Slowly, Yugi thought everything through… had he won? Had he truly won? As in response, the lights overhead went out. It was over… all of it was over. He wondered if he would be able to save Atem and the mere thought of what had happened sent chills through his body.

He cried his heart out; until sirens and voices were heard and a group of dogs found him. Yugi was awake, but he was not truly there. He thought he saw Joey coming to him and embracing him. Tristan… Tea… but not Atem…

X

* * *

><p>X<p>

**Epilogue:**

His fingers closed around the cup as he swallowed a mouthful of hot coffee, trying to keep awake and finish the project at hand. It was hard but he had to get it done or else he would fail the class. His mind kept wandering off with anything though. He laid his head on the desk, accidentally touching the golden pyramid nearby. Instantly, he jerked his hand away.

The pharaoh would not speak to him about it. In fact, there would be days upon days when he would refuse to speak to Yugi at all. It saddened Yugi. It was as though Atem was not with him anymore. He feared that one day the pharaoh would stop talking to him forever. Sometimes he wondered if he should have left the millennium puzzle lost within the ruins of the ceremonial duel's place after what had happened in the carnival. But Atem had already been alone for thousands of years. Yugi wouldn't allow his partner to go insane. Besides, who knew what would happen if the millennium puzzle ended up in the wrong hands…

It had been three years… five since the ceremonial duel had taken place. There was no way to fake it though, Atem was getting worse. When he first found the millennium puzzle with Marik's and Ishizu's help, the pharaoh's soul had been devastated by his own actions. He would beg Yugi to forgive him and then beg him to never forgive him. He would try to force himself into the deepest confines of his own memories and lose himself in his Egyptian past.

But this year… Atem had become unstable.

It was not his fault, Yugi kept on trying to believe even when Atem would start cursing inside his mind words that Yugi could not understand. But whose fault was it? Atem's sudden waves of rage had begun to affect Yugi too, making him angry when there was nothing to be angry about. Or at times, Yugi would be able to feel the overwhelming memories of Atem flooding into him. He couldn't handle it.

At first he had tried everything in his power to help his partner out, but now… Yugi had fallen so low as to leave the millennium puzzle in his dorm while going to his college classes. Sometimes the pharaoh didn't notice, others he did not care, but others Yugi could see the hurt in his partner's eyes when he placed the millennium puzzle around his neck again.

It was not the Atem from before… but even though the puzzle could lay untouched for hours, Yugi would once in a while reach the real Atem and talk to him like the old times. It was never easy. Atem knew his soul had been rejected by the afterlife. He knew he had nowhere else to go. And they both knew that Yugi would not live forever.

It was a sad thing… to lose a friend to himself. Countless nights Yugi had selfishly thought it would be best to take the puzzle apart and hide it in his closet with all those game boards that he had brought from the game shop he used to live in. But no… Atem and Yugi were partners…

…and partners did not give up on each other.


End file.
